Falling in Love wasn't Part of the Plan
by readingisawayoflife
Summary: Hermione sends herself back to 1945 to try to change Tom Riddle becoming Voldermort. She didn't realise she might fall in love. She also didn't realise that there was more to him than met the eye. Did she change him, or did he manage to change her?
1. Chapter 1

Thank you to HelloIamGracie for editing this chapter, and correcting my mistakes. Hope you enjoy the story.

Chapter 1:

"Ron!" Hermione's voice screamed in a helpless cry as she placed her head against his heart. There was no heart beat as she lay for what seemed like hours. "Ron, I love you. Wake up, Ron," her voice came out in jagged breaths while tears continued to stream down her cheeks. The ring on her finger felt as if it were burning, now only a promise from the boy she loved, one that he could not fulfill. Her dreams of marriage and endlessly hungry redheaded children came crashing down and shattered her heart into a million pieces.

Draco watched as Hermione sobbed into the Weasels' robes and felt an unsettling bout of guilt. He hadn't been the one to kill him, but he knew he was not on the correct side of the war. He also knew he hadn't ever been the most pleasant person to Hermione at school, and right now he was most likely the last person she would want to see. But many people had been killed and Draco didn't want to look around only to see his dead classmates. Instead he was going to concentrate on Granger as she was the only recognizable face he could spot... alive.

He walked carefully closer to her, traitorous tears threatening to run down his face. So many people had been killed, and at what cost? Yes, Voldemort had been defeated, but was he worth the lives of so many people? He felt unworthy walking among the dead students that helped to defeat Voldemort, while he was alive and had been on the wrong side. The dark side. When Draco finally got close enough he could hear Hermione softly mumbling meaningless words into the Weasels' chest.

"We were going to get married, Ron. You proposed, remember? And I know if you were alive you would probably get a bit freaked out by this, but-", Hermione let out a loud sob and wiped her tears with the back of her hand before she continued. "-I had planed our future. In my head, that is, of what I would have wanted. And of course what you would have. We were going to have a massive family, like yours, Ron. With little clever redheaded kids running around." She laughed and buried her head deeper into his robes. "I would have to be constantly cooking for you and the kids, because they were going to have appetites like yours. We would have had a large house with a massive back garden, and the kids would run around outside and would play in a tree house you and they built. They would have been so happy, just like me having married the best boy I could have ever dream of. I love you." Hermione's throat felt as if it had been blocked and she sobbed for her impossible future with Ron.

"Gr-Granger?" Her thin frame jumped as she was snapped back to reality, facing a boy she did not have the intention of ever coming across again. She would have screamed or hexed him if his cheeks hadn't been stained with tears and he hadn't been trembling, just as she was.

"Draco," she whispered as she looked up into his eyes from where she was sitting down. In the heat and sadness of the moment, with her dead fiancé lying down beside her, she opened her arms like a little girl wanting to be comforted and hugged from a parent. Hermione held vulnerable and weak while Malfoy left his arms hanging. Just as she was about to drop her arms in defeat she felt his body crash into hers as he clung onto her with desperation. Her sobs came back full force as his hands stroked her head and as he whispered to her and himself that everything was going to be alright. But how was she going to believe him when he didn't even believe himself?

That was the place they woke up hours later, arms wrapped around each other tightly. When Hermione managed to open her eyes she saw a very alive Dumbledore looking down at them. "Dr-Malfoy, wake up!"

•THREE WEEKS LATER•  
"Hermione, are you sure you want to do this?" Dumbledore asked softly looking down at the trembling girl. They both already knew the answer to the question, and it was no, but they both also knew she was going to do it anyway.

"Yes, yes I'm ready," Hermione was scared and terrified, but she was going to do it for Ron and all of the other good people who died. And also she was never going to see Ron, or any of the others again, if her plan worked, it would be worth it. Some version of Hermione Granger would still be with him. Some version of Hermione Granger was going to go to Hogwarts, and be best friends with Harry and Ron, but she would not have to help them defeat Voldemort. The only pressure in school would be her grades, her OWLS, and her NEWTS, she would not have to worry about the constant threat of Voldemort. Harry would have a normal life growing up with his parents, with no lightning bolt scar, and not having to risk his life, and the lives of countless others. Hermione knew that this version of herself would not experience any of this. But that it would be a different version of her from the future. She had a hard time understanding it herself. But she did understand that she had a chance to make sure all the bad things didn't happen. And that she would take that chance in a heartbeat.

Dumbledore lifted a book that's pages were now glowing. One touch and she was going to be taken back to the year 1945 to complete her 7th year, the same year as Tom Riddle. She didn't know how she was going to change him, but she knew she would do anything. And if all else failed, she would have to kill him.

"Okay, let's repeat the story," Dumbledore said bringing her attention back to him again.

"I was fighting in the front line against Grindelwald, which is why I have so many injuries, curse marks, and cuts. Both of my parents are dead, my dad being killed a year ago and my mum just recently. My name is Hermione Granger and I'm a Half-Blood. I don't know how I got here, but I remember grabbing something that looked like a key of some kind. It must have been a portkey, but I don't remember," Hermione answered back, having gone over the story numerous times.

"You need to touch the book once I'm finished, Hermione, good luck. And I'm sorry," Dumbledore lifted his wand, "Crucio."

Hermione screamed in pain as she felt the worst pain imaginable. Dumbledore knelt beside her and slowly placed the book onto her hand. Hermione felt like she was being plunged into darkness, and opened her eyes just to see the second before a marble floor collide with her face. Her eyelids began to feel heavy, and her head throbbed, and all the while she could feel blood slowly soaking her clothes. 'For you, Ron,' was the last thought she had as she slid into unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Just a massive thank you to HelloImGracie for editing this story.

Chapter 2:

Hermione's eyelids slowly fluttered open and the bright lights blinded her.

"She's waking up," a woman's voice gushed.

"About time too," said a man's voice, which by his tone sounded quite angry.

Hermione tried to slowly ease her way up into a sitting position while rapidly blinking her eyes trying to get all of her vision back. "Where... Where am I?" She tried to make her voice sound as confused as possible even though she knew exactly where she was. It was the Hogwart's Infirmary version 1945.

"How did you get here? How did you manage to get through our Wards? Who are you?" The angry man, who she was pretty sure was Headmaster Dippet fired questions at her.

"Armando! This is not the time or place for this conversation! I only let you stay here to ask who she is. If you're not going to behave yourself, then you can leave. She is sick, after all." The woman smiled sweetly at Hermione and handed her a little cup filled with something that should have been thrown away long ago. "Drink this up for me. I know it doesn't taste very nice but you'll be able to get yourself sorted out and into your room in no time."

"Room?" Dippet spoke again, his voice rising. "What room? She doesn't go to this school! She just appeared out of nowhere! For all we know she works for Grindelwald!"

Hermione let out a sob and covered her eyes so they couldn't see that no tears were coming out.

"Oh, look what you've done now," the woman huffed.

"No, no, it's okay," Hermione started rubbing her eyes as if wiping away tears when she was just making them seem red and blotchy. "I was fighting against Grindelwald before I woke up here. I don't know why I'm here, or how I got here. I was needed at the front line, and I was fighting and I remember being on the floor," Hermione made her voice catch before she carried on with the story. "And I grabbed onto something, something quite small and metal. It felt cold in my hand. I think it might have been some kind of portkey. That would make sense why I'm here, wouldn't it? She peeked between her lashes up at him breathing deeply trying to come across as vulnerable and scared. It seemed to work as Dippet slowly eased himself back into his chair and looked at her with pity in his eyes. Maybe he believed her because the truth was, Hermione was scared. She was terrified. She was going to come face to face with Tom Riddle in a matter of days and she was going to have to smile at him and pretend to know nothing about him. She was going to have to smile at the boy who killed Ron, the ring in her pocket suddenly felt heavy and real tears started to form in her eyes.

"It's okay, don't dry," Dippet said suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with the situation he was in. No male species knew how to handle a crying girl and Dippet was feeling guilty for causing her tears. "Call Dumbledore, would you?" He asked the nurse.

As she left she shook her head and went to get Dumbledore muttering something that sounded like: "I'm a nurse, not a messenger."

"So, um, Miss, I'm sorry I don't know your name."

Hermione looked up at him then, snapping out of her thoughts. "Hermione Granger," she muttered softly capturing a tear that was escaping down her face with her thumb.

"Is there anyone I can call for you? Parents, relatives, legal guardians? Anyone who can come pick you up?"

"No," she looked down again. "My family was murdered."

Dippet's heart went out for the girl as a wave of sadness overtook him. To die was one thing, but to be killed by another human being was an entirely different thing. And the girl was the one that had to suffer. Death was painless once it's over, but to suffer the pain of having someone - at least two someones - you love die is devastating. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said, but he knew the words meant very little.

"Dippet, you called?" Hermione looked up to see a much younger Dumbledore walking in.

"Oh, yes, will you quickly come outside with me?" Dippet stood up from his chair and walked outside with Dumbledore following.

Hermione let out a shaky breath and waited for them to return. The letter that the future Dumbledore wrote to himself came into Hermione's mind and her fingers suddenly dove into her pocket to make sure it was there. She had no idea what it said and Dumbledore had ordered her that under no circumstances should she open the letter. All she knew was that it would tell Dumbledore that she was from the future and to provide her with money. The letter didn't mention why she had to come to the past or anything to do with Riddle. Everything was down to her. The only thing she was going to have was Dumbledore's trust.

"Miss Granger," Dippet walked back in which gave Hermione a mini heart attack. "As it's the new school year we have decided to let you stay, but you will have to attend the sorting today which will start in 15 minutes."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione replied.

"My pleasure, Mis Granger. Once you have been sorted into one of our Houses we can get you settled into an appropriate dorm. The nurse will bring up some clothes for you to wear in a second and I'll go get our Head Boy to show you where the Great Hall is. I will warn you that here in Hogwarts our pupils take Houses very seriously but I have a strong feeling you will be put in Gryffindor."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said again wondering how she was going to get Dumbledore alone so she could give him the letter.

"Right, I'll go fetch our Head Boy," Dippet said standing up and heading for the door.

"Maybe we should ask someone else, Riddle can get slightly intimidating," Dumbledore said hesitantly. Hermione felt a twang in her heart at the mention of his name and had to bite her tongue from begging for anyone else, just not Riddle. But she wasn't meant to know who he was so she stayed silent.

"Nonsense, Albus, Tom is a very pleasant young man, who I'm sure will welcome Miss Granger very nicely. I'll go get him." Dippet left the room with a bounce in his step as if he was excited to go see him.

Realizing this was her chance Hermione spoke quickly, "Dumbledore, I have something I need to hive you." Dumbledore turned around with confusion masked on his face, but it turned to shock when he saw the letter in her hand. It must have been the loopy handwriting that was distinctly Dumbledore, on the front that caused the shock he was feeling. He quickly took the letter from her and read it. Hermione had hoped he would read it out loud but knew that he wouldn't. Instead she waited for what seemed like forever until he finally spoke.

"Well, this makes things interesting," he looked her up and down as if trying to remember her, know that the future he did know her. But he only reached a blank wall as all of her features were new to him. "Come to my office 30 minutes before the Hogsmeade trip this Sunday," he said before leaving the room.

Hermione slowly eased her way out of the hospital bed and steadily walked over to a chair were fresh clothes were folded and waiting for her. She had been given a white short sleeved top and a light floral skirt that reached her knees. For shoes she put on the pair of crème heels and white frilly ankle socks that she had also been given. Once she was finished she looked at herself in the mirror. Cuts and bruises were present on her arms and legs but only very faintly and in a couple hours they would fade completely. Her outfit was very ladylike which looked dreadful with the horrendous state of her hair. She quickly cast a charm that made it hang loosely in waves around her shoulders. She wanted to make a good impression seeing as this was going to be her new life.

She walked out but stopped. It was him, he was standing in front of her. Her clothes that she had changed out of were in her arms with the small ring box on top and suddenly it became a challenge not to drop them. She laid them down carefully on the bed she had occupied knowing that the nurse would make sure they got back to her. When she finally felt ready she straightened up and met his eyes. 'I don't know him, I've never met him before' she recited to herself but she couldn't stop the hatefulness taking over her brain. It was really him.

"We need to go now, the sorting has already started," he has just spoke and all Hermione made of it was 'this is the voice of the boy who killed Ron'. She realized she needed to say something and that she couldn't just stand there and stare at him until he died a slow and painful death by her glare.

"I'm sorry, you are?" Hermione was proud of herself by saying anything other than 'Die Voldemort' or having an emotional breakdown and start sobbing again, and ranting at him for all the terrible things he did. But she needed to remember that the boy standing in front of her only had an evil mind. He wasn't responsible for the terrible things that happened... yet.

"Tom Riddle, Head Boy, Slytherin," he said turning and walking out the door, expecting her to follow. And she did. Tom walked down the halls as fast as he could seeing as he had about two minutes before she was going to get sorted. As soon as she was sorted into one of the other three Houses he could get rid of her and never think of her again. She was pretty, he would give her that much, but he held no interest in her whatsoever. The way she looked at him for ages without speaking reminded him of all the other girls that also had their crushes. Lots of the girls were pretty and sometimes he wished that he would give into his urges, to feel someone's lis against his for the first time. But he always knew that none of that was important, that power was the only thing worth giving into. He didn't want to waste his time on a girl telling her to get lost and that she meant nothing to him. Because he knew that nobody would ever mean something to him. He wasn't capable of love. But that wasn't a weakness.

Hermione quickly sat down in a vacant seat and waited for her name to be called. Riddle went and sat at the Slytherin table next to someone who looked exactly like Malfoy. Draco... she missed him. He has shown her kindness when she needed it the most. He had held her while she sobbed until morning light. She never saw him again. She realized that he had no choice. He never had a choice. The blonde boy turned towards her and caught her eye for a second. She quickly looked away but noticed that his eyes were colder than Draco's but his features were softer.

"Hermione Granger," Dumbledore called out standing next to the stool. Hermione rose to her feet and started walking towards it. Everyone stared when they realized that she was going into 7th year and no one had been warned about her arrival. She sat down and as the Hat was placed onto her head, her breath caught in her throat. A boy with bright red hair was looking at her while talking to some other random person. It had to be him though, he resembled Fred and George more than Ron. But the red hair made her want to sob and weep and hold him in her arms.

"Hmmm, Miss Granger, which House should I put you in? Ravenclaw? No, you're much to brave and courageous for that House. Then shall it be Gryffindor? That was the House you were put into before, wasn't it? But you've changed. So much hate has built up inside you. And you've become very good at lying and pretending." 'No,' Hermione thought, but she knew what was coming...

"Slytherin!" the Hat called sending the Slytherin table to clap enthusiastically welcoming her into their House. Hermione's eyes travelled back to the red haired boy, but he'd already lost interest. As Hermione walked over she looked over at Tom Riddle. He wasn't talking to anyone, just staring blankly at a point on the wall. The blonde boy caught her eye though and she noticed that the smirk must have been passed down through the years. The boy managed to make it very bitter though, much more bitter than Malfoy's ever was. Hermione spotted an empty space along the table but the blonde boy shuffled up closer to Riddle, but not touching. SHe reluctantly sat down causing Riddle to look in her direction. His gaze lasted only half a second but she felt it go right through her causing goose bumps to run up and down her arm.

"Abraxas Malfoy, Pureblood," he said the words so proudly she felt disgusted in how much he valued the pureness of his blood. Hermione know he would be revolted if he knew she was a muggleborn, which aggravated her as she would unarguably beat him in every subject she was going to take.

"Hermione Granger," she said accepting his hand that he had extended to her. His touch was cold.

"We weren't expecting a new 7th year, but you were certainly a pleasant surprise," he almost drawled the words but Hermione still couldn't help but blush slightly.

"Thank you, I didn't expect to be coming here either. So what does me being in this House actually mean?" she asked looking up at Malfoy, smiling at him slightly.

"Well, it obviously means you're better than everyone else in the other Houses. It means you're sly and cunning. But if you ask the other Houses they would say evil," he smiled lightly at her than raised an eyebrow. "Would you say you're any of those things?"

Hermione thought for a moment, she didn't know how to answer the question. She needed to earn the respect of the House if she wanted to have any significance. Everyone around them were listening in seeing as she was 'the new girl', a new shiny toy to play with. She didn't want them to get bored and dismiss her because Riddle would never notice her. She suddenly thought, what if she didn't bother. She couldn't change him anyway. She could still get out of it by saying she was nothing like that and the Sorting Hat got it wrong. But then she thought about Ron, Harry, Ginny, Fred, George. "I think I was put into the House because of the lives I've taken," Hermione muttered trying to make it look like she was in pain at the memory.

It wasn't a lie, she had taken peoples' lives. She also didn't regret any of it. But it seemed slightly awkward telling people that sat around her that she had killed people, when she knew that the people she had killed were related to them.

"I'm sorry but that's very hard to believe seeing as you're a girl who looks like she couldn't kill a fly," said a boy that looked like a Black.

Hermione raised her eyebrows and looked him in the eyes. "They killed my family, that makes a person very bitter," she replied.

Tom ate without paying much attention to anything. The new girl was talking to Malfoy, Nott and Black about some unimportant rubbish about the deaths of her parents as they pretended to be interested. Tom had no sympathy, her caring for them was a weakness. Everyone on this table knew that if they had someone they cared for, then they should not annoy him. Whether they cared for someone in this school, a friend, a sibling, it didn't matter. Caring was a weakness.

"Tom," Dippet's voice always seemed too enthusiastic to Tom, but he used Dippet's like for him at an advantage.

"Sir," Riddle smiled politely at him hoping he wasn't going to stay and talk for long.

"And, Miss Granger, lovely to see you've settled down," Dippet smiled at her and she gave him a weak smile back. "Seems as if I was wrong about which House I thought you would be in. Never mind. Oh, Tom can show you up to your new dorm, can't you Tom?"

"Yes, sir," Tom said faking a smile, offering his arm out to the new girl.

She hesitated before taking it and as soon as they exited the Hall, he dropped her arm and began walking faster.

Hermione had to walk quickly to keep up with Tom and he didn't say a word to her. She would have been completely fine with the arrangement if the walk wasn't so long and boring. "So, what's it like being Head Boy?" Hermione has always assumed she would become Head Girl in 7th year due to her remarkable test scores. She wouldn't get the chance now. Riddle ignored her and opened a door barely holding it open for her. She huffed as it almost hit her in the face, but stopped when she saw the common room. It was beautiful, decorated with expensive furniture all in green and silver. It was obvious that it had the most amount of money spent on it than the other Houses as it was breath-taking.

Riddle only paused for a fraction of a second before he carried on walking and Hermione knew that if she didn't follow him she would most likely get lost. He stopped suddenly by a door and spoke to her as if he suddenly realized that he had a voice. "This is your dorm. You get one to yourself as you came late and all the other dorms are full," Tom said before turning around. Just as he was about to walk off he heard a voice.

"You're awfully rude." He turned to look at her with a slightly dazed expression. It had been a long time since anyone had the guts to insult him in any way. But she didn't know that she was playing with fire... yet.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you walk as fast as you possibly can to get rid of me. You barely say a word and you look at me as if I'm below you. I think they can be considered as being rude, don't you?" Who did she think she was? He should hex her right here and now, but something stopped him. The thought of having an argument excited him in some way. No one had dared say anything against him in a long time, except Dumbledore, but someone would always defend him. There was no one to defend him in this empty corridor and he wanted to make sure he still had his touch.

"What did you expect, for me to smile at you every two seconds, hold your hand and kiss you goodnight?"

"The idea of you kissing me repulses me but yes, you could try smiling more. It wouldn't hurt after all."

"And what would smiling at everyone gain?"

"Nothing," she replied smiling. Well what was the point when there was nothing to gain? "You don't always have to gain something. People tend to do a lot of these out of the kindness of their heart. But I doubt you're familiar with the concept." Hermione suddenly felt the prodding of Riddle's wand against her neck and she knew she may have over stepped the line.

"You will learn very shortly not to aggravate me, Granger, try to make sure you don't learn the hard way though." He stepped back when she nodded and turned to walk away quickly. Although the day had not gone too badly Hermione could still not stop herself from flinging herself on top of her bed and sobbing helplessly. This was her new life and she hated every second of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

As Hermione walked to the Slytherin table in the morning she met Riddle's eyes. She expected some spiteful insult to be thrown at her but was taken off guard when a bright smile spread over his face.

"Good morning, Granger, did you sleep well?" Not only Hermione was shocked but so was Malfoy, and his jaw dropped at the sight of Tom Riddle actually smiling. But it only took Hermione a minute to realize that Riddle was mocking her request for him to smile more, and she rolled her eyes while placing a forced smile on her lips.

"Quite the comedian Riddle?" Hermione said standing awkwardly behind the two boys. If anyone else was in Riddle's position, she would have come to the conclusion that they were flirting with her, however this was Riddle.

"Malfoy, move over and let the lady sit." So now he was referring to her as 'a lady'? Right. Though it was obvious there was clearly no room, Malfoy still managed to move over enough for a tiny gap to form between the two of them. Unfortunately big enough for Riddle to gesture her to sit down. She had no idea what Riddle was up to, but slid in anyway, as it wasn't as though she could reject the offer. Their thighs were touching the; she was touching Riddle! Malfoy shifted awkwardly trying to create space, whereas Riddle seemed to have no problem with the contact at all.

" So do I have to wait until darkness to kiss you?" he whispered in her ear, leaning in close enough for her to feel his breath against her neck.

"I remember saying that the idea repulsed me," Hermione muttered looking down, while her cheeks flushed an embarrassing shade of red.

"I remember saying not to insult me," Riddle replied, and although the tone of his voice hadn't changed, the threat from last was evident in his voice.

Tom Riddle was a peculiar boy/ He had dark brown hair that was cut the classic way for boys in the 1940's, but he kept his much neater than most boys kept it, it was perfectly kept. His skin was pale, but not abnormally so, it was lighter than Hermione's. It seemed to have a glow to it that radiated off him in an appealing way, like a fallen angel. His hand was lingering around the edge of his plate and she felt the urge to run the tip of her fingers over his cool marble like skin. She didn't though. Then there were his eyes, which were now hidden by his dark lashes, resting against his cheek. His eyes reminded Hermione of the sea when it was it's deepest. The sea was beautiful and deadly because you didn't know how deep in went, and what monsters were hidden inside it, swimming under you. But Hermione knew exactly what monsters hid inside of Tom. She wished she didn't though, or at least had the power to banish them away.

Tom was proud of himself knowing that the perplexed look drifting over the new girl's face was because of him. He was proud of the blush that crept up her neck when he mentioned kissing her. And he enjoyed knowing that he had gotten into her head. He abruptly stood up, his arm and leg brushing against hers slightly, and walked out of the Hall after glaring at Abraxas. The glare meant that there would be a meeting tonight.

It started at 6 and everyone knew that they had to be exactly there at 6. They knew the punishment if they were late. Riddle didn't consider any of them his friends, they were just followers, and the only one that Tom thought was tolerable was Abraxas.

"This meeting won't be long. Black, get over here. Now!" Tom said while spinning his wand in his hand. Everybody's eyes turned to look at him as he strode forward. He walked up to Tom with confidence but the fear in his eyes was not hidden. Fear, the thing Tom hated the most. Fear meant weakness.

"How can I serve you, My Lord?" he said, his head slightly bowed down in respect. He was stood a couple of steps in front of , his eyes refusing to make eye contact, and his hands trembling.

Tom knew none of the boys liked him, some even loathed him, if they could they would get rid of him. But they were terrified, as they should be. They all knew the consequences for disobeying, and they knew that they would never escape him. But it was all there fault for underestimating his power to begin with.

"Nott," Tom turned discarding Black, and the boy almost jumped out of his skin at hearing his name. His heart rate picked up as he ran through his actions in his head, going over any possible mistakes he could have made.

"Y-y-yes, My Lord?" He stuttered.

"The rules, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is that what happens in this room stays in this room and that no one else shall know anything about our meetings."

"Yes, those are the rules, My Lord," Nott replied, trying to remove the fear from his voice. He remembered his mistake then

He had slip up this morning, mentioning to his friend that he had to cancel their plans for tonight, because he was going to a meeting. That was it. That one tiny mistake. He hadn't even mentioned Riddle's name; he hadnt given any information about it away. Surely Riddle would not punish him for something so insignificant.

And surprisingly he didn't.

"Black," Tom said, turning back round to face him.

"Yes My Lord," he said, his lips shaking. Of course he knew that Riddle was going to turn back to him, however he hoped

"Are you a friend of Notts?"

"Yes My Lord."

"Crucio him."

"W-wh-what?" he stammered, hoping he had heard it wrong.

"I shall not repeat myself," his voice came out cold, and Black's eyes shifted over to where Nott stood.

His friends eyes had gone large, begging him with his gaze not to do it, and his knees shook uncontrollably. This wasn't fair, this was too cruel. But he knew he had too.

He lifted his wand and said the word.


	4. Chapter 4

So I will be updating every 3 to 4 days so please follow. Also, if you have any ideas please write them in the review as i do read them and would love some ideas. At the moment Hermione and Tom hate each other but it will change, I just want to make their relationship believable. Thank you.

Chapter 4

Hermione inhaled the smell of books happily as she drifted through the bookshelves. She felt content with herself, a feeling that was alien after she arrived to this time period. For 4 nights she had gotten used to the tears that stained her cheeks at night, but it gave her hope knowing she had almost survived a week here. Sunday, once she had bought some belongings, maybe Hogwarts would feel slightly like hope again. She hadn't managed to make friends, possibly apart from Abraxas. She didn't know if that counted as a friendship, but he was slightly more pleasant than anyone else. He especially looked like an angel compared with Riddle. Only she hopelessly wanted to become friends with the Weasley and Potter of this time period. She felt as If It would give her heart some rest.

She turned around and was surprised with the sight of deep blue eyes looking down at her.  
"Good afternoon Riddle" she spoke breaking eye contact and resting her eyes back on the beautiful sight of books.

"Miss Granger." She wouldn't have admitted it before, but she had felt the need to hear Riddle speak again. Maybe because the idea of her sleeping in the same building as the man that killed Ron was driving her crazy. She needed to hear that he was the 17 year old boy who was still planning this dreadfully sinister future, and not Voldermort yet. Or it could be because as she talked to him, she felt as if she was making progress in some strange way.

"I can't say I'm surprised to see you here. Although most girls keep away from the library as if it is infected, your constant question answering would have me pondering whether you slept in here or not," Tom spoke, probably feeling very smug about his snide comment. But a smile crept onto Hermione's face as she turned to make eye contact with him again.

"Oh, my beds just over-" she pointed to the far end of the library, "-there." Riddle did smile, although it didn't reach his eyes. She didn't think any of his smiles reached his eyes. They were so cold she almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"How has your week been?" Riddle asked not really knowing why he did. He didn't care about her answer in the slightest.  
"Dreadful," her answer was said so coldly and bluntly Riddle turned his head slightly and watched her run her nail through the back of a books spine.  
"Who so?"  
"Your all dreadfully unwelcoming. I've never felt so alone in my life." Hermione didn't really understand why she was bothering to tell Riddle her feeling. He couldn't give the slightest damn about her. But he seemed the only person willing to listen, even if it was for a very short period of time.

"Well I apologise that you feel that way, but most Slytherines feel the same. Learn to accept it," his words didn't have the cutting feel she thought they would have on her. She felt hurt, yes. It was as if she had lost a tiny fragment of hope in her heart.  
"It doesn't have to be that way, Riddle," she whispered softly, knowing that he had heard her although he was walking out the door. He didn't look at her as he left, he just walked out clutching a book under his arm.

The dip on the couch caused Hermione to look up from her book at the new arrival. The seats were actually heaven to sit on, one thing she could say she liked about the Slytherine house. Her eyes met with a pair of murky grey ones. She couldn't help the corner of her mouth from turning up slightly. She would never forget how Draco broke down beside her and held her when she most needed it. She would always owe him for it. Looking at Abraxas made her think of him bringing back a tiny piece of home. His famous smirk that was plastered smugly on his lips only bought back a bigger piece.

"Good evening Malfoy," Hermione said placing her book down onto her lap.  
"Miss Granger, pleasure to finally talk to you again. How has the week been for you?" Although she obviously liked Malfoy much more that Riddle, she felt hesitation with telling him how awful it was. Probably because he would tell her that it was going to get better and she would settle in soon. She would know that there was no truth in that and there was no point in empty hope.

"Very good thank you Malfoy."  
"Call me Abraxas," he said, the Malfoy smirk starting to lift into a warmer smile. You would almost be able to think he was just a normal good-looking wizard, not crazy in the head helping plan the execution of muggles. But his eyes gave him away, so cold they would burn.

"I wondering on whether you would like me to accompany you on your first trip to Hogsmeade as your new. That is of course, if someone else hasn't asked you."

"No, no-body has asked me. I would be delighted. And please call me Hermione." Hermione tried to form a genuine smile but felt disappointed that she was going t have to form a fake smile and make chit-chat.  
"But I also need to buy a quite a few things as I have no personal belongings. I would be fine if that's too much hassle-"  
"No its fine. Il pick you up from your Dorm at lets say 12?" He cut her off standing up and walking to what Hermione assumed was the direction of his dorm.  
"Okay" she smiled picking her book back up and filling her heads with the positive outcomes. She may possibly have found a friend? But she also just agreed to spending the day with a Death Eater…delightful.

Someone knocked at the door which snapped Tom out of the thoughts he was having.  
"Enter Abraxas," he called knowing that it was only Abraxas that ever would disturb him.  
"Thank you," he turned and shut the door slowly behind him walked over to sit on the couch. They didn't have what you called a normal friendship, but Abraxas was the closest anyone had gotten to Tom.

"I came to inform you that I wont be here on Sunday, I'm going to attend Hogsmeade." Abraxas talked slowly hoping that Riddle wouldn't object to his plans.  
"I'm assuming your attending because of a girl." Abraxas chuckled.  
"Obviously Tom, why else would I waste my time."  
"Who is she then?"  
"The new one"

Tom looked up at that. Her. His thoughts about her confused him. He wanted to, and knew he needed to, put her in her place. Her snide little comments about not needing to be alone aggravated him. But at the same time, he didn't want her to stop. They provided something else for his mind to think about for a short moment of time. Lately, all he was thinking about was the horcxrucses. He thought of nothing else, even when he was talking to others or doing his work. She was the exception of course. She provided his mind a couple of minutes to talk to her and get annoyed about what she was saying instead of worrying about his future. It was a short, not entirely pleasant but nice break for his mind.

"I didn't realise you had feelings for her?" Tom phrased it like a question, giving Abraxas his full attention at the moment. Only because the topic was her.

"I wouldn't call them feelings. She's pretty and seems home sick. She will probably be easy." Abraxas didn't exactly mean what he said as he didn't think he had any chance of getting her into bed. Not if the length of her school skirt said anything. But he didn't have feelings for her. He just wanted some peaceful company, someone who didn't have a mission to kill someone in their mind. Well, that's what he thought anyway.

"Do what you want Abraxas, I couldn't give a fuck," Tom said slowly walking to the door.

"Alright, thank you, see you later then," replied Abraxas. He never knew how to talk to Tom, whether he could even call him by his first name. It depended on what mood Tom was in. He seemed in an alright one now.

"Granger." Hermione's head snapped upwards meeting a pair of blue eyes. She looked down although her interest for the book had gone.

"Riddle." The couch dipped as he sat but hopefully he wouldn't stay long. Hermione was not in a good mood and she knew if she opened her mouth something that would offend him would come flying out.

"What are you reading?"

"Oh shut up and go plot another murder. I don't have the time for you right now," Hermione spat now meeting the same blazing red eyes that had looked down at her as she withered on the ground in pain. She regretted the words as soon as they came out her mouth but not because she didn't mean them. She did mean them very much. But because of the sudden worry of the consequences. The tip of his wand suddenly pressed against her neck as he leaned in.

"Granger, what are you implying?" His voice slithered down her ear as goose bumps rose on her skin. But she couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't stand him.

"Go on. I dare you," she spat at him again her fists clenching up. She felt a sudden tingling of moisture dripping down her left cheek. She slowly lifted her fingers towards it and felt the sticky feel of her blood.

"Don't mess with me Granger." His voice was menacing with a bitter kick to it.

"I hate you." She snarled at him, her hand pressing against the wound on her cheek.

"I hate you too." He replied as a smile spread on his lips. He stood up then and started walking out.

"I mean it Granger. Don't mess with fire." Was the last words he spoke as he exited the room.

Hermione felt the tears betraying her eyes and mixing into the blood dripping down her cheek. She didn't heal the wound but instead unconsciously walked up to her dorm. She couldn't bring herself to sob, although it had built up around her throat. She curled up as tight as she possibly could and let the happy memories of Ron calm her into a deep sleep.

_"Can't we just go at a café Mione? This is too hard," Rom moaned as he slipped another finger into the cake mixture and swiped it against his tongue. _

_"Ron stop eating it, your going to finish it. Ron stop it." Hermione said laughing, trying to grab his hands as he kept dipping it into the mixture. When she managed to grab his arm his fingers accidentally brushed against her cheek leaving a trail of cake mix. Ron burst out laughing and licked the rest of the mixture from his finger as Hermione stuck her tongue out at him._

_"Let me," he said and leaned in to kiss the mixture of her cheek. Hermione tried swatting him away, but he was too fast. His lips inched towards her lips and she gave up trying to get him off. He lips touched the edge of hers with a butterfly kiss as she circled her arms around him._

_"Ron," she whispered as he rested his forehead against hers._

_"Yes love?" he whispered back resting both his palms against her cheeks._

_"I love you."_

_"I'll Love you till the day I die."_


	5. Chapter 5

Hey so I'm trying to get some more ideas for future chapters and if you could write a review with some ideas I would love it. Tom and Hermione's 'getting together' is coming up soon but that doesn't mean either of them are going to be too happy with it.

Chapter 5

Hermione stood outside Dumbledore's office like he had told her to on Sunday. She was anxious to see what was going to happen, whether he was going to ask anything. The door opened and she heard him call her name so she took a shaky step inside. She may have trusted Dumbledore but this was not the one that she knew. This man had not gone through the same things as the Dumbledore she knew had.

"Miss Granger, I hope your settling into your new time period. Now you may think you're here because I have questions but I seem to have asked myself not to ask you anything."

"Yes Professor, I was told by you not to tell you anything." It was weird how they were both talking about him as if he was 2 people, which in this situation he sort of was.

"You're here for me to provide you with money, which is what I have asked myself to do. I have set up an account in you name which enough money for you too buy whatever you need, just don't go mad. My future self seems to have a great deal of trust for you, miss Granger."

"I trusted him too"

As Hermione left, with a small bag of coins for today in her hand, she couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling of sadness. When she was still thinking about travelling back in time to change Riddle she had thought that at least Dumbledore would be there to help her. But now she realised that she didn't even have him.

Abraxas didn't know why he found Hermione Granger attractive, as hadn't felt the need to pursue a girl before. He didn't know whether it was because she was exceptionally pretty, witty and had a back-bone, or whether it was because he felt as if he was one step ahead of Riddle. He didn't really know what it was about her that aggravated Riddle, but something did. She was possibly the only girl that he has actually had feeling for, although the feelings weren't good. Abraxas felt that if he had her then he would have some power over Riddle, which he needed. The threat that followed disloyalty hung in the back of his mind all the time and although he knew he was the closest to Riddle, he knew that he was, by no means, safe.

He knocked on the door and was greeted by a sweet smile on her face. A genuine smile that made him feel guilty about his intentions. He also didn't want Riddle to mention anything about how he had said she was easy, that was a mistake. Boys shouldn't speak of girls in that way. Did she care for him? Think this was a date? Maybe it was a date, he hadn't decided.

"Shall we leave," he offered his arm out to her. He felt her warm finger tip rest on his arm and he met her scorching amber eyes with his own. It reminded him of autumn, the vibrant colours of the leaves just before they loose it and fall. He hoped that she wouldn't fall, but in the back of his mind he knew she would.

Conversation never had been too difficult for Hermione and seemed to flow better than she expected with Malfoy. Or Abraxas as he told her to call him. He complimented her a lot but it didn't sound special coming from him. It was like when Harry used to call her pretty. She would smile and say thank you but it didn't go to her heart. If anything it was slightly awkward hearing it.  
"You don't mind if I quickly buy a book?" quickly was a complete understatement and they both knew it.

"No, be my guest. I'll look at the quidditch shop then. I'll meet you in the 3 broomsticks to have a drink in half an hour?"

"Yes, thank you," Hermione said already walking towards the bookshop. The quiet ring and the smell of books made a smile spread against her lips. She looked through the books one by one, her hand slowly filling up with books she wanted to buy. Once she realised she only had 5 minutes before she was ment to meet Abraxas she quickly stood up and bumped into a hard chest causing her books to go flying.

"Watch were you going next time," a voice that sounded annoyed said to her. Her head quickly whipped round and she was met with a mob of red hair and green eyes looking down at her.

"I-I-I'm sorry. Are you al-alright?" Hermione stuttered trying to memories the face looking  
down at her.  
"Its fine I guess." He grumbled picking up a book that lay by his feet.  
"Well aren't you going to pick your books up?" He sounded a fraction like Ron did, but his hair was more brown than Ron's had been. Hermione used magic to gather the books into her hand and he placed the book he had picked up on top of the pile.

"That's a lot of books. Hey, aren't you that new girl who joined this year? Sorted into Slytherine," He made a face when he said the last part, but Hermione's lips still spread into a smile. This boy was related to Ron. Her Ron.

"Yes I am," by now the boy was smiling back which made it harder for her to contain herself and not engulf him into a hug.

"Well, they are all a pack of pricks." He said slowly as Hermione finished paying.

"Yes they are," Hermione chuckled as they both broke into a fit of giggles, both not really understanding why.

Abraxas looked at the clock again, wondering what was taking her so long. She was only 10 minutes late but it felt longer and it was annoying him. The 2 girls sat opposite him were leaning in and laughing but he had already lost track of the conversation. He decided to stop looking at the entrance, that it was coming across desperate and went back to the conversation.

The sound of 2 people laughing snapped his attention and he whipped round to see Hermione…with some red head. He recognised him, a Gryffindor called Weasley. Hermione slowly walked over, still holding onto the boys arm. Did she not know how cheap she looked now? She was laughing and holding onto some other boy when she was ment to be on a date with him. Anger boiled under his skin.

"Hey Abraxas," she said smiling down at him. Her smile was happier than any other smile he had seen her wear, probably because of the red-head.

"Granger," he replied coldly, not even bothering to stand up. Everyone went quiet and you cut the tension with a knife in the room. The red-head kid left after wrapping his arms around Hermione and giving her a quick squeeze. He would be having a word with him later, and possibly telling Riddle.

Hermione took a seat next to a girl with curly blonde hair and eyes drenched in eye makeup. She looked Hermione up and down and turned away raising an eyebrow. The other girl was a lot nicer and made polite conversation, while Abraxas started speaking to blondie.

After 15 minutes Hermione stood announcing she was going to leave. She was surprised when Abraxas stood and offered to walk with but it made me difference seeing as he wouldn't talked.

"Are you mad at me?" She finally asked, tired of being quiet. She had said it so quietly so doubted for a second if he heard.

"Yes." It was so blunt it sent a shiver up her spine.

"Why?"

"Why do you think Hermione? You turn up 10 minutes late with some red-head wrapped around you. You came here with me, do you know how bad that made me look?" He let out a growl in frustration, desperately trying not to loose his temper with her. By one look at her face he could immediately tell that it was the wrong thing to say.

"How can you be so selfish? You looking bad, what a joke. None of the girls cared Malfoy, it was only awkward because you made such a big thing about it." Hermione's face had gone red as she angrily shouted at him. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself down.

"I have no friends Abraxas, you're the only one I actually talk to. And I need friends, otherwise I'm going to go crazy. Please." He wanted to hug her then. Tell her that it was all going to be fine and she could talk to whoever she liked. But he couldn't, he wasn't going to give up a fraction ofhis pride up for her.

"Well I'm not your friend either Granger, so you can go insane for all I care." He regretted the words, but he wasn't going to take them back. She didn't cry or shout or run away. She met his cold glare and slowly walked away to her dormitory without giving him a single glance back.

Tom hadn't gone to Hogsmeade, it was a waste of time. He would never go unless he needed something. It wasn't as if he had a girl that he needed to take. He spent his time reading the dark arts, finding out as much information as he possibly could. The knock on the door made him jump out of his skin after a day of pure silence.

"Doors open," he called and Abraxas walked in and flung himself onto one of the couches.  
Tom could tell that something had happened by the way his face fell, obviously something to do with Granger.

"Your back early, thought you were going to be with her for the whole day…and night."  
Abraxas wanted to Riddle to fuck off but he knew that that was risky, he didn't want to be hexed.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well I want to talk about it." Abraxas was right, telling him to fuck off would have ended terribly. Riddle had the bitter kick to his voice that meant he was serious, and it scared him.

"It ended badly Riddle, she went of with some other boy. A Weasley." That was he moment Riddle lost interest and let him carry on with his moaning. After about 10 minutes of silence Abraxas stood up and left.

Tom obviously had not lost interest and if Abraxas was paying proper attention, he would of noticed. He had not turned the page since the girls name had been mentioned and when Abraxas mentioned some other boy had made friends with her, his eyes narrowed. He had been cruel and a few people had been warned to stay away from her, people he thought would show her kindness. Making her miserable bought him joy, he wasnt sure why...


	6. Chapter 6

Hi so this is chapter 6, was kind of difficult to write, as although I know what I want to write in future chapters, I don't have a lot of ideas at the moment. So please review and help. The reviews I've had have been really encouraging not to just give up on this story (promise I wont) and I'll try to work on spelling even though I know I'm terrible. PLEASE REVIEW it makes me happy. Thank you for reading J hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter 6**

_"Okay, smile on the count of 3, 1,2,3," a sudden burst of bright light blinded Ron when the camera's flash went off. Hermione smiled as she turned it around to look at the picture she had just taken of her and Ron. _  
_"Why is it not moving?" Ron's confused face, as he was trying to look closer, made Hermione smile. _  
_"I told you Ron, muggle's pictures don't move." said Hermione tacking the camera away from his prying fingers. He reluctantly let his grip loosen as he grumbled a complaint about how stupid it was._  
_"This way we can capture a single second and remember a whole moment." Hermione said smiling as Ron wrapped his arms around her. He leant in and pressed his forehead against her._  
_"Ron, I love you," Hermione breathed out blissfully._  
_"I'll love you till the day I die."_

Hermione gasped for breaths as her eyes shot open, bringing her back to reality. The dreams that she was having was like being in heaven as she dreamt them, but a nightmare when she woke up. She didn't want to keep having to remember Ron, remember that he died. Having to dream fake memories was killing her.

Tom stared at the ceiling, his mind in the state of being half asleep, half awake. His thoughts wandered between different things, his future plan, his hate for muggles and now a certain girl.  
The noise students slowly made their way to breakfast fully woke him up. His hand swept against his eyes and his finger rubbed circular circles on his temples. Waking up had never been a strong point, but he felt the need to be prompt for breakfast. He felt if he showed sign of laziness then his fellow classmates may take it as a sign of weakness.

He quickly climbed out of bed and walked straight over to the shower, trying to become fully awake. While letting the cold liquid pour down on him, he slowly slid to the bottom of the shower and wrapped his arms around his legs. Curling up into a ball made him feel safer and was something he started doing at the orphanage. It always made him feel as if he was preparing for the day by showing his insecurity and weakness only to himself. He knew his plans were beginning sooner than he imagined and it scared him. He was desperate for it to work, scared if he failed and exited.

He stood back up, got dressed and made his way down the corridors to the great hall. People mumbled "hi" along the way and although he couldn't care less about any of the, he nodded politely will a small smile to keep up his image.

As he expected, less than half the population was in the hall, but would all arrive in the next 10-15 minutes. He took his seat were Abraxas would soon join him, he wasn't so sure about Granger. The "date" hadn't gone exactly as Abraxas had planned which worked in favour of Toms plan. He would just have to speak to the Weasel soon.  
Hermione had sat through Charms, bored to her wits as the professor refused to let her answer any questions. She wasn't overjoyed about her next class either seeing as Riddle was going to be in it. As she walked down the corridor a certain mob of red hair caught her attention.

"Hello," she smiled warmly but was returned by a slightly scared and annoyed expression.

"Hey, Granger can I talk to you for a second," he replied stopping and looking uncomfortably around the sea of Hogwarts students.

"Sure."

"We cant talk anymore, or even be friends. I'm sorry and I wish it didn't have to be this way, but please don't speak to me or any of my friends," he quickly gushed out them started walking away.

Hermione was so confused, her head spinning around, she felt as if she had been rejected. She didn't know whether to curl up in a ball and cry or throw a tantrum at him. Tell him that his great grand son obviously didn't find her so unattractive that he was embarrassed to be seen with her. That he held her hand and wanted everyone to know that she was his and he was hers. That he loved her.

Because of the brief encounter she had to go through, Hermione became the last person to set into the classroom. The only seat that was empty was next to Riddle, which made her seriously contemplate just walking out. But she enjoyed Transfiguration which might make having to sit next to Riddle sufferable.

"Granger," he said, acknowledging her presence.

"Riddle," she replied, hoping he wouldn't try to talk to her for any longer. She wasn't in the mood to deal any bullshit from anyone and everyone time Riddle spoke, some offensive and insulting would undoubtedly would come out.

"How is school?"

"Fantastic," Hermione's voice dripped with sarcasm as the professor walked into the room.

"Really? Because it seems to me that you don't have any friends," he said, his voice dropping lower as the professor started speaking.

"I've gone through a lot worse Riddle, so if you think that nobody talking to me would upset me, your wrong. Besides, you have no friends and you seem to be fine."

"Miss Granger, do you have something you wish to tell the class?" All eyes turned to her, except Riddles. But a smirk plastered against his lips.

Hermione wasn't stupid, there was a reason that people would look around uncomfortably if she tried to speak to them. It took her up until this lesson to work it out. Him sitting next to her made it so much more obvious and she was seething. How dare he warn people to stay away from her. For his own sick enjoyment, watching someone become more and more miserable.

Once the lesson was over and Hermione and Riddle both exited the room, she tugged the sleeve of his robe to grab his attention. He whipped around quickly, an expression of annoyance plastered on his face when he noticed it was her.

"Ha-ha, this game that your playing is hilarious. But I am sick of you thinking you can walk over me and you have greatly underestimated what I know. I know a lot more than you think I know. I know more than the teachers, I know more than the students and I know more than you."

Granger said it with so much venom in her voice, he doubted whether his judgments about her was right. Her voice hadn't quivered when she spoke it, her eyes didn't avoid eye contact and she managed to stand up to him, a very risky thing to do.

"Oh, do you now?" Tom replied, his best smile spreading over his lips. He put one hand against the wall behind he head, trapping her from moving. To the other pupils that were walking past, this would look as if he had interest in her. The smile on her lips and that hand against the wall, but he knew that she would see it as torture.

"I would love for you to prove that to me Granger," he whispered into her ear, leaning up close. His breath tickled he skin and increased her heart rate. He could see her pupils dilate slightly and how a layer of Goosebumps rose on her arms. Plus, her blush gave it away. He was having an effect on her. The thought of her reacting somehow made him happier, knowing he had another way of power over her.

"Maybe I will prove it," she whispered back just as softly, only he could hear the bitter kick edging into her voice.  
He leaned away from her smiling and walked off, doing his best not to look back and see her hazed expression.


	7. Chapter 7

Hi, please, please, please review! I'm sorry for the drastic time changes ,but i wasnt going to write each and every day out. You start finding out more about Tom's thoughts on Hermione, and its the beginning of whatever they have between them. Thank you for reading and I'll get the next chapter posted in 1 or 2 days. Maybe 3, but I'l try not to xx

Chapter 7

Finding Hermione sweetly sleeping, in the Common room with a book fallen on to her stomach, was oddly heart warming. Abraxas's lips spread into a smile and he watched her, for a couple of seconds, sleeping. As he was making his way across the room she mumbled something, causing him to turn around. She mumbled it again but he couldn't make out what she was saying. He started walking closer but stopped when he heard her exact words. Horcruxes.

"Come in," called Riddle from the couch, as he heard the door knock. Abraxas swiftly walked in, shutting the door behind him.

"Sir, I have important news, Its about the girl." Riddle was giving 100% attention at the mention of Granger and important news in the same sentence. He could tell it was important as Abraxas's breathing was slightly faster than its usual rate, indicating that he tried to come quickly.

"She was asleep in the Common room Sir, she said a word in her sleep. Horcruxes." Tom's intake of breath and shocked expression made it clear that he was surprised. But not the type of good surprise when you find out everything is going well. The type when everything is going perfectly and then some stupid cheap piece of shit ruins everything.

Tom had only mentioned Horcruxes to his Professor and Abraxas, very briefly to both. How did Granger know about them? Was she into the Dark arts herself? Yes, she knew, but it seemed deeper than that. She didn't seem the type to know about the Dark arts for fun, so there must be a reason behind it. Tom somehow knew deep inside that he was the reason for her knowing, although that made no sense as he had not mentioned it to anyone since she had arrived.

"Malfoy, leave!" Tom said it as an order and he did hurry out. Damn it. Why did the girl have to be the one that was a threat. How come she got power over him. No-one else had managed it yet, but she had. She had only been here for little over a week and she was one step ahead of all of his followers, put together. One simple word and she managed to cover all depths of his brain. It had become an obsession.

Hermione stared absently at the ceiling of the Common room, re-evaluating her life. She had come into this time period to change him, but so far all she had managed to do was make him hate her. Life felt insufferable and Riddle already seemed too far gone for her to manage to help him. She was too weak to destroy him. She had lost the fraction of hope that she started with. But she had one thing nobody else had, and that was having nothing. She had no family Riddle could manipulate her with, no friends for him to torture and no love in her heart for him to rip away.

She closed her eyes and bought her fingers to the pulsing in her neck, breathing in deeply. She felt the thumps beneath her fingertips, not caring if it stopped. The air suddenly felt much colder and thicker, it was suffocating. She always seemed to feel it when he entered the room.

Her eyelids stayed closed as he walked up to her. She felt his breath touch her neck as he leaned in. Her heart rate picked up and she began to see flashes of light behind her eyelids.

"I hate you Granger," he whispered it softly, like a lover whispering I love you into his girlfriends ear. No hatred filled his voice, he had stated it as a fact.

Before she could stop herself her eyes flew open and she stared into his eyes, that at that moment, looked nothing but pure and innocent. Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach out and touch the pale flawless skin on his cheek. She knew she wouldn't normally think any of that about Riddle, that she must have been thinking them because of still sleeping slightly state she was in. They stared at each other for what seemed like years until he finally broke the trance by knotting his eyebrows together in confusion.

"I hate you so much." He didn't sound sure this time, and he couldn't get the hard tone that seemed to come effortlessly into his voice. He had thought he hated her. But as he looked down into her eyes, his heart couldn't help but fasten. She was beautiful, her scent intoxicating his brain. His hand clenched up and he knew that when he returned to his room, he would punch or smash something. No, he decided he didn't hate her, it was deeper than that. He wanted to see her unhappy. He wanted her to be so desperate for company, that she would go to him. Her wanted to have power over her, he wanted her to be dependant on him. Wanting those scared him.

She watched him walk out and decided it was probably best for her to go to her own room. She had no idea what just happened between them but she knew it would change nothing. The words he spoke were as true as they would get. He hated her, and she was scared that maybe she would slowly stop hating him. It wasn't easy to hate this version of Voldermort, because when she looked at him she stopped seeing a killer, and that scared her.

That encounter now had happened 3 weeks ago, and Hermione hadn't talked to Riddle since. He made sure no-body talked to her and she was a complete social outcast, but it was like talking to a wall when she tried to talk to him. Not that she saw much of his face anymore. She knew that she had to get someone to talk to her, it was like walking around with an "I'm infected, don't come near me" sign on her forehead. But she knew how she would get him to talk to her. She just didn't know when.

Tom watched her as his potion was brewing. It was potions class and the assignment was to create a new potion. Her face had become slightly pink due to the heat of her potion and her hair was exploding out of her hair band. Her neck was on show, beautiful and long. Tom hated the thoughts that swam through his mind about her. How he wanted to feel the warmth of her neck beneath his lips instead of having to stare at her when she wasnt looking. But the other half of his mind was entertained at the thought of her screaming in pain as he tortured her. Her eyes pleading for him to stop.

There was 2 sides to her in his mind. One half dreaming up ways to make her life as miserable as possible,the other half was thinking of her in nice ways. Making up fake scenarios of them two, fake happy conversations. It wasn't love, it was an obsession. And he wasn't sure if it was a bad obsession of happy thoughts or a bad obsession of bad thoughts.

"Sir, I'm finished," Granger called out, her arm shooting up into the air. Her arms had got skinnier, Riddle noticed. The bones stuck out more. He had stopped seeing her in the great hall but had assumed she ate with the elves. At least they would talk to her.

"Wonderful, what does it do?" the professor asked enthusiastically, leaning in closer to get a better look.

"It brings out the worst in people Professor. It makes them do the horrible thoughts they have in their head that their good heart would stop them from doing."

"Sounds wonderful, but perhaps we shouldn't try it out. I can bottle it and get it properly tested for you if you like, as i trust you've done a fantastic job. What have you decided to call it?"

"Thank you professor," Hermione said beaming.

"I've decided to call it Voldermort."

The test-tube in Toms hand shattered from the pressure of his grip. His breathing stopped.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay so in this chapter you need to realise that he's not in love with her, it's a weird obsession. Abraxas will explain it to Hermione in the next chapter. So please review and thank you to everyone that has. Hope you like the chapter xx

Chapter 8

Hermione looked Riddle in the eyes and could see him shaking. His fists and curled into an iron grip, while his eyes pierced into hers.

"Wonderful, has a very sinister ring. I think you've captured the essence of your potion beautifully."

"Thank you professor," Hermione replied, breaking eye contact with Riddle's. He didn't take his eyes of her, not even when a girl rushed to clear the shattered glass from around his feet.

Hermione herself was feeling terrified. She knew what was going to happen next, most likely the Crucio curse. She knew she was mentally prepared for it, but physically she didn't think her body could take it. Killing her would probably be merciful.

It was weird to think that even if he did become the Dark Lord, he wouldn't be called Vodermort. Well it would be very unlikely anyhow. She pondered on what he would call himself, if he did change his name. He could just keep it as The Dark Lord. She tried to keep her mind of the torture she knew was coming.

When the lesson ended Tom made sure she didn't disappear. He watched as her shaking hands grabbed her bag, then walk out of the classroom.

Hermione knew what was coming when she was slammed against a door in an empty classroom. She felt the pressure of his wand being pushed into her neck as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"How did you know, tell me?" He barely whispered it into her ear quietly and softly. She didn't reply.

"Tell me," the volume increased in his voice as the wand was pressed deeper. Hermione could feel her breathing get harder but she had no way of replying.

"TELL ME FOR FUCKS SAKE!" he screamed, the pressure of his wand against her throat becoming unbearable.

"R-r-riddle, please stop. Your hurting me." The pain eased a little as the wand was moved slightly.

"How do you know my name? How the fuck do you know." She could see him coming apart, looking desperately in her eyes for answers. Answers she wouldn't and couldn't give him, not now. Maybe not ever.  
She felt his head fall into the dip of her shoulder. Her breathing stopped, while she felt his lips brush against her collar bone. This was not what she expected, she felt confused. He also seemed so confused, lost with himself. He kept mumbling words into her skin, as he tried to put of head deeper into her body. Although she felt his lips brush against her skin, they were not kisses. He was looking for answers on her, not knowing how to. She was paralysed to the spot, as he kept mumbling "tell me" over and over again.

The wand had travelled down her body, still being pressed painfully hard as Riddle kept his face on her neck. She felt it press just on top of her stomach. She didn't realise he had said the Crucio curse until she was lying on the floor withering.

She passed out from the pain in 3 minutes. Tom watched her skin to the floor, tears streaming down her eyes and screams caught in her throat. He felt so lost, not knowing how he felt towards her. He stared for a while, at her unconscious body. She would wake up soon.

He sank to the floor beside her and folded himself into her frame. His head lay across her shoulder, and with an arm he wrapped it around her waist, he was pulling her closer towards him. She smelt of vanilla and rain. She also felt right in his arms, as if she belonged there. She did, Tom decided. Her squeezed his eyes shut and rested her head in her hair. She was his, no matter what she thought.

As Hermione's eyes opened, she felt the dull ache in her body. She felt bruised all over, with a patch of wetness on her shoulder. She brushed her fingers across it but she didn't see her blood on her finger tips. They felt more like water, the dampness you get once someone's cried on you.

Her surroundings were unknown, looking like an empty classroom. Just as she thought she was alone, she saw a hunched over body slouched into a corner.  
Shaking, she slowly stood up. Her legs were shaken but she managed to get out the door and run to her room. She didn't realise she was crying until she felt the itch of the wet trails on her cheeks. She threw herself on to her bed and broke into sobs. She was terrified.

_Hermione squealed as she ran through the trees. She was panting, and the adrenaline of the chase pumped through her veins. Her footing became more clumsy, causing her to stumble quite a few times. She could hear him reaching closer, his breathing also heavy._

_A pair of arms suddenly grabbed her from around the waist. A girlish scream came from her lips as she was thrown on to the grass, his large frame landing next to hers. She tried to roll away, not wanting to admit defeat, but his arms held a tight grip._

_"I win," he breathed into her ear, and she felt his smile on her skin._

_"And what's your prize?" she asked, and he knew she was smiling as well. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, whispering the answer against her skin._

_"You."_

_She closed her eyes blissfully, trying to inhale his sent. But instead of the smell of almonds and honey, she spelt the smell of fresh books and manly cologne. The spell of Riddle. Her eyes shot opened, and she realised she was alone. He wasn't there by her side. Her heart's pace picked up as she started to panic._  
_"RON, RON I LOVE YOU!" She screamed at the top of her voice, hoping for the reply that needed to hear._

_But no sound came back._

The knocking of the door woke her up, and the pain came back when she got out of bed. It was still dark outside her window. Each foot step towards the door seemed a challenge. She slowly pulled the door back, greeted by the sight of Riddle, looking the worst that she had seen him. His hair was messy and his school uniform was creased. He probably hadn't changed from last night.

"I've got your bag," he said, trying to catch her eyes with his own.

"You look dreadful," she said, changing the subject and meeting his intense gaze.

"Yeah, well so do you," he replied, a small smile threatening to appear on his lips.

"Who's fault is that?" her voice was matter of fact, but it wiped the small smirk that had slowly been appearing of his face. It hurt him, that suddenly she felt so badly of him. But to be fair, he hated her just as much.

He hated how she could stare him in the eyes without being scared. How she bit her lip when she wanted to say something, but was trying to stop herself. How she knew his deepest, darkest secretes. He hated how he loved her, but didn't know why. He hated his confusion, he hated how none of it made sense.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, closing the door slowly and taking the bag from his hand. Her fingers accidentally brushed against his, causing an electric shock to run through her spine. When the door was closed she rested her back against it, sliding down on to the floor. She took in shallow breaths, scrunching her eyes up until she saw the tiny spots of colours behind her eyelids.

He sat against her door, his back pressed against it. He curled up into a ball and waited until the sun peaked up, bringing a new day. He knew that when the new day came, he would still have these feelings, and that scared him.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey, so this chapter is more about Tom, how he feels etc... I've tried to explain more about how Tom is feeling, which is an important part of my story!

He's not in love with her, but as he, throughout his life, has been deprived of love, he creates a false sense of love in his head. Its more the need to receive and give this love that he needs inside of him. He has feelings after all.

I also tried to tackle his thoughts on death, as they are obviously very strong. Thank you for reading and please review ideas on the chapter, or for future chapters!

Chapter 9

Abraxas watched Riddle staring at Hermione through the lesson. He felt sorry for them both. Riddle had never felt love from someone, or felt love for someone else. It was only a matter of time until he developed a feeling for someone based on needing to feel and receive love. He felt sorry for Hermione because she was the one that had to receive the love he had to give. He didn't have much love to give though, not enough for someone who wanted it.

Abraxas knew he could use this to his advantage, that this could be Riddles weakness. If Riddles feeling developed, a lot of people would pounce on her, as a lot of people wanted revenge. She was going to be ruined.

The coldness of the night clung to Tom's body as he lay in the slightly damp grass. He was thinking about his future, his plans and life goals. Underneath the universe all his problems seemed so small, it made his feel helpless over the world. But it also made him more driven to make a change, to have some influence over something. He would succeed, he would make sure of it.

Tom stared up at the night sky, looking at the stars dancing above him. He knew they were dead, they were just a memory of the light that had long gone out. The thought of him dying scared him, more that knowing he was going to be broken. Splitting his soul scared him, it was as if he was going to be splitting his personality. Cutting up the fragments of life in him buried deep inside. But the thought of death was worse. He didn't want to end up like the stars, only memories and already gone. He remembered the talk with Slughorn only too well.

_"Well, well, it can't hurt to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul."_  
_Tom made his face scrunched up in confusion, leaning it slightly to the side._  
_"I don't quite understand how that works, sir." He said, hopefully waiting for Slughorn to carry on_  
_"Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But, of course, existence in such a form...few would want it, Tom, very few. Death would be preferable."_

Death would be preferable…Tom never understood that. How, in anyway, could death ever be preferable. When you die, you become nothing. You disappear from the earth, never to return. You don't know if people miss you, or if your death is welcomed. Tom imagined his death to bring happiness to a wide range of people, he wasn't exactly liked.

Being scared of death was a good thing, it wasn't a weakness. It made him more driven in his goals, it made him less scared of everything else. Because if the worst thing that could happen to you was death. And once you were dead, everything means nothing. Your gone forever.

_"And how exactly does one split his soul?" asked Tom, already knowing the answer. He needed to hear it though, books could hold false information. Tom needed to be sure he could do this, that this could happen, before he set his hopes high._  
_"Well, you must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is an act of violation, it is against nature." Said Slughorn, trying not to carry on. _  
_"But how do you do it?"_  
_By an act of evil - the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: he would encase the torn portion -"_

Tom had already created his first Horcrux, a locket. He would get rid of it soon, to make sure no one knew about it. It gave him a sense of satisfaction, knowing that everyone who wanted him dead would never succeed. He was unbreakable.


	10. Chapter 10

Hope you like this chapter, and please review. I would love to hear your thoughts, views and ideas.

Chapter 10

She could always feel when he was close, the air seemed to get thicker but colder. He didn't talk, but she could feel his gaze on her. It was a different silence than last time, as she felt this time she was controlling it. Although he never tried to talk to her, she had never tried either. He could possibly be keeping his distance after the dreadful things he had done to her that night, but that would mean he felt bad about it. Riddle would never have those feelings.

But Hermione also worried that the silence meant that he had more time to plot and come up with plans. She needed to distract him, which meant she needed to approach him. She knew the time-table of his rounds, and so she found herself sitting outside her dorm waiting for him to come.

A coughing woke her up, as she appeared to have dosed off. She looked up expecting to see Riddle but instead she was met with Malfoy's eyes. He stared down at her, a disapproving look on his face. It reminded her of Draco.

"Get back inside your room Granger," he snarled down at her, while she tried to stand up. She wanted to snarl something back, but she didn't want to waste her time with him. She admitted defeat. Just as she was about to turn around, she saw Riddle leaning against the wall, staring at her.

Her heart dropped as she realized she needed to get this over now. She needed to talk to him. To get herself back on to the right track, for Ron.

"Riddle," she half whispered and half spoke. She waited for a reply, but it never came. Maybe he was ignoring her after all.

"Don't waste your time, Granger-" He stared to spit out until Riddle spoke.

"Leave us be Abraxas, we need to talk," Riddle said, stepping towards her. Hermione's eyes widened as she nodded, while Abraxas started to walk away.

Hermione felt the pressure of her door against her back as Riddles eyes gloomed over her. Why did he have to be so tall?

"Tell me how you know," he breathed it out, while Hermione realized they were alone. It could be a repeat of what happened a couple of weeks ago. Although she had this done to her before, the fear never went away.

"Granger…" she flinched as he seemed to reach for his wand in his pocket, her eyes slamming shut. She waited for the prodding of the stick against her neck, but it didn't come.

Instead she felt the soft touch of his fingers against her cheek. She couldn't open her eyes, so she left them closed. His fingers grazed against her cheek, then being replaced by his palm. His touch was calming, but also frightening. Hermione was always frightened with things that she couldn't explain, of things that confused her. This defiantly confused her.

She peaked up through her lashes, and met his stare. He let his hand fall but didn't move. She couldn't move herself, stuck in this messed up moment that was happening between them.  
"I hate you," he murmured softly, but the words had lost meaning when he said them to her. Hermione knew that this version of Riddle didn't hate her. His feeling were defiantly messed up, and he might hate the feelings he had, but he didn't hate her. The thought of him not hating her somehow seemed worse than him hating her.

"We both know that's not true," she muttered, not really meaning to say it. Would he be horrible to her again? He just stared at her.

Tom was deciding if this was he right moment to tell her she seemed to be the only thing he thought about. How he hated himself for it, but she was right, he didn't hate her. He hated his feelings for her, but he couldn't hate her. It wasn't possible, no matter how hard he tried. He decided it was probably never going to be a good time to tell her.

"You're right," he said, causing her to snap out of her thoughts. She looked at him with wide eyes, and at that moment, he didn't seem to be thinking.

He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. His first kiss. But her lips didn't move, and she stood motionless. He quickly leaned away, looking at p her eyes still wide, and now filled with shock.

On one hand he wanted to leap for joy, knowing his first kiss had been with Granger. She hadn't pushed him away or screamed at him. But the depression seemed to over power those thoughts, and he felt the weight of her rejection on his shoulders. Her lips hadn't moved. Her eyes hadn't closed. She didn't want him.

"Go to your room Granger," he spat at her, turning away and quickly walking of. He didn't want to show how much it seemed to hurt him, everyone always seemed to forget he was human. He had feelings, he just decided to bury them deep down, and not show them to anyone. But he still had them.

The feel of his lips lingered on Hermione's, as she bought a finger to touch them. They tingled with a weird sensation. It was good that he had these feelings, she decided. She would have to use them to her advantage, and if she could make herself his weakness, then she would be one step ahead of him.

_Ron's hand flattened against the keys on the piano, creating a dreadful sound._  
_"Stop, you're doing it wrong." Hermione said, capturing his fingers in her hand._  
_"Stop stop stop, your saying it __**wrong**__" Rom quoted, from one of the first days he had met her. His little sense would have never guessed that he would grow to love the bushy haired bookworm. That he would end up dying for her._  
_"Funny, Ron. Look its like this," she said, gliding her fingers over the keys. The music flowed out effortlessly._

_Ron's fingers stopped her. They captured her hands and squeezed them tightly. Hermione looked down, but when she looked up again she was greeted by Riddle's eyes, not Ron's._


	11. Chapter 11

Please review and follow!

Chapter 11

Hermione didn't know what to think about Riddle, and it seemed as if he had no idea what to think about her. But she knew that this was progress, whatever this between them was.

Well, she thought it was until she saw Nott, clutching his side and staggering towards his dorm late at night. His breathing was coming out in fast and desperate pants, and his back was crouched over as if he was going to topple.

"Nott," Hermione called out, knowing that if the situations were, he would have never bothered to help.

His eyes looked behind him to see where the voice was coming from, and fell on her. He carried on staggering down the corridor, speeding up. She could understand why he didn't want her help, but he was going to receive it whether he wanted to or not.

She placed her hand softly but firmly on to his shoulder, which caused a whimper of pain to leave his mouth. But he turned around, leaning his back against the wall in an attempt for straighten himself.

"Don't touch me," he tried to say bitterly, but the words came out in more of a plead.

"Tough, hold still," Hermione told him, healing the blood trickling down his cheek.

Her movements were soft, Nott thought, as she took the pain away bit by bit. He was so confused, hadn't someone told him she was evil. The kindness she was showing him made him wonder why no-one ever talked to her. But did it count as kindness if he didn't want her to help him? He asked her not to, knowing the consequences if he got caught. He knew Riddle wouldn't hesitate to kill him, he had almost done it tonight. And for some reason the girl in front of him had been branded as Riddles. When the pain was bearable, he pushed her away and fled.

Hermione felt anger and hurt stabbing at her heart. She had helped him, and all he did was flee. No thank you, and no thankful smile. This house was so ungrateful it was ridicules. She was also mad at Riddle, how dare he torture somebody so much. Showing how badly he could treat one of his own kind gave her a feel of how badly he would treat a muggle-born.

The loud thuds against his door woke Tom up from his thoughts, snapping him into attention.

"Come in," he called out, expecting Malfoy to walk in. He was surprised when he saw an angry, bushy haired Granger step through into his dorm.

"What the hell is your problem?" she practically screamed at him, seeing red behind her eyes. Confusion flocked his mind, as she waited for an answer.

"Granger, what are you on about?" he asked, standing up of the sofa, as she marched over to him.

"You," she yelled, poking her finger into his chest. He looked down at it in a bored glare, while she kept jabbing it again and again.

"I don't know what you're talking about, and would you stop that," his voice was calm, and he captured her finger with his hand, shoving it down off him.

"You had a meeting today," she whispered softly, looking down. But the hate was in her voice. She managed to hate him so bitterly, he thought. As if they had a childhood filled with abuse and torture, and she had met him before. It made sense though, why she was so angry. Her kindness was obviously a weakness, and he didn't know why she cared. Its not like anyone would care if he hurt her.

"Get over yourself Granger, Nott dissevered it," Tom said, watching her fists begin to clench. Leaning in closer to her, he whispered in her ear.

"Besides, none of them give a shit about you."

"I'm not like you shit-heads Riddle. I can't help but care." She spat at him, his words hurting her. He was right, nobody did care about her. She had no-one. She was alone.

"Don't you fucking dare talk to me like that Granger. I am not your equal. You will not insult me," he snarled, his hand roughly jerking her face to look at him. A whimper escaped her lip as she tried to free his grip, but he was too strong.

"Your right, I'm not your equal. I am so much better than you Riddle. I may not be as powerful, scary, or as intimidating, but I am so much better than you." He growled at her words, shoving her away to give himself distance. He didn't want to hurt her, but she was pushing his buttons.

"Get off you're bloody high horse Granger, look at you. You got put into the Slytherin house, you're not God, or a bloody angel. You are nothing," The words struck her, and she felt it as if it was a slap. She had never been nothing in her life. She was part of the golden-trio, she did everything she could to defeat Voldermort. She had always been something. Always. And now here she was, being called nothing. She felt as if she was nothing.

"I hate you," she murmured, wanting to hurt him as much as he hurt her, but knowing that her words wouldn't effect him in any way.

"I hate you too," he laughed at her, his mockery was worse than his temper.

"Well, I bet that's not what you were thinking as you tried to stick you're tongue down my throat," Hermione replied harshly. She would never know that it was his first kiss, or his first anything with someone. She would never know what it felt like to be rejected on your first time, how much she had hurt him.

"You are mine Granger. I'll do whatever the fuck I want." she flinched as he said it, taken aback of how dreadful the situation had become. She was not his. She was not his in anyway.

"I may belong to someone, but it defiantly isn't you," she threw back at him, feeling the need to talk about Ron. She wanted to tell Riddle how kind he was to her, how much love he showed her. How she was engaged to him. But she didn't want to break down in front of him. Her heart couldn't take it.

* * *

Throughout the night Tom stared at the ceiling, counting the number of tiles over and over again. She had stormed out, slamming the door behind her as she left. The girl was really something, she had no sense in her mind. She didn't know her place, no matter how much he told her. His thoughts of her lulled him into a half asleep, half awake trance.

The sunlight peaking through the gaps of his curtains work him up, as he slowly made his way out of bed. He made his way to the bathroom, taking slow drunken steps. His hands clumsily felt for the tap, and he yanked it on feeling the water begin to gush against his arm. He quickly removed it and started to remove his clothing, throwing it into a messy heap on the floor.

He stepped into the freezing cold water, flinching away as soon as it hit against him. He slowly felt more awake, as he bravely stepped in to the water, his face facing upwards. After 2 minutes of washing, he sunk down on to the floor, wrapping his arms around his legs. He imagined his fears and worries washing over him, being taken by the water and going down the drain. It made his feel more alive, stronger, safer and more in control.

Tom felt her presence enter the hall as he lifted a fork to his mouth. He watched her as she looked around for a vacant seat, finding one next him and next to a bunch of girls. She slowly made her way over to the girls, who immediately stopped talking when she sat, and shuffled a small distance away. One of the girls met his eye sight, and smiled when she saw him looking her way. The stupid slut probably thought he was looking at her, as she started staring up at him through her lashes, flickering her hair every 2 seconds. His eyes were clearly fixed on Granger, making everyone around him uncomfortable. He had made it quite clear yesterday who she belonged to...him.

When Tom was finished he stood, flinging his bag over his right shoulder. He started walking towards the exit when a hand was gingerly placed upon his shoulder, causing him to jerk under the touch. He turned his face, expecting to see Granger's, but was met by green eyes and long back hair.

"Hey, Tom" the girl spoke, smiling shyly at him. Confusion masked Tom's face, as he wondered what the hell she wanted. Did she not realize that no-one just walked up to him, not for any reason. Especially not to just say hi.

"Hello," Tom replied, smiling at her. He realized that he had an image to keep. Telling her not to touch him and to walk quickly away would come across very rude and 'unlike him'.

"I was wondering whether you wanted to meet tonight, maybe hang out in the Astronomy tower. It's just, I don't think we've ever talked much before, and I would like to get to know you Tom." She softly said, batting her eyelashes up at him. It made him feel slightly sick.

Tom obviously held no interest in the girl, and was just about to make up some excuse over how busy he was when he saw Granger looking. When their eyes met she quickly looked away, but it hadn't stopped him from seeing. Maybe he would meet up with the girl after all.

"Sure, I would love to," Tom replied, looking back at the girl. This time he knew that he wouldn't be rejected. He would be far from it.

"Meet me up there at 7 tonight then. I've got to rush, I've got lessons to attend." Tom said, as the girl blushed a deep red. He left her there, quickly walking away, and was very pleased with himself.

"Oh my God, can you believe it, he said yes. He said 'I would really love too', those were his exact words. I knew he was staring at me, can you believe it? He's so perfect." The girl squealed as she slid back in to her seat. She was looking Hermione\ up and down, as if to say 'so there, he's mine'. She knew what the other girls thought of her, the gossip of her stalking Riddle. She wanted to defend herself, but didn't see the point.

Hermione listened as the girl gushed on and on about her date tonight. She wanted to know what Riddle was up too.


	12. Chapter 12

Hi so this is my next chapter. Please follow this story if you're not already. And please review as I need feedback to improve my writing and story line. I know my spelling and grammar is terrible, so sorry about that. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

Tom arrived to the Tower promptly on time, expecting to see her as well. Everyone came to his meetings on time, as they knew what would happen if they didn't. But this girl seemed to think it was acceptable to turn up late, and it wasn't. Surely she should be early, seeing as this had been her idea.

Her name was Amelia Clearwater,and she was some stuck up Pureblood. Abraxas had been surprisingly helpful on the subject, already knowing and informing Tom about her. Tom didn't know why Abraxas gave a shit to be honest, there was no point in cluttering your mind with pointless information. He would forget about her tomorrow.

Just as Tom was considering to leave, she walked in smiling brightly.

"You came," she said, smiling up at him, her eyelashes now coating with a think layer of gunk.

"Your late," Tom stated flatly, making his annoyance painfully obvious.

"Well, I wasn't sure you were going to show up, and I didn't want to look desperate," she said, trying to defend herself, in an annoying high-pitched squeal.

"I don't like it when people are late," he replied glaring at her. If he was meeting Granger instead of Clearwater she would be telling him to get over it. But he wasn't meeting Granger.

"I'm sorry Tom, maybe I can make it up to you," she said to him, twiddling her hair around her finger. He hated how she called him by his first name, no-one did. He didn't want it to be over used.

At first, Tom didn't realize what she meant, but he got the hint when she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Her lips had been dampened by her tongue, which darted out and swiped his lips as well. Hands were being tangled through his hair, and he placed his palm against her cheek. Like he had done to Granger. Only it didn't feel the same.

He felt nothing as her lips danced across his,while her chest pressed tighter into him.  
Slowly, he moved his hands down to the dip of her waist and held her there, nipping at her lips with his teeth. It seemed to come naturally, but it was also disappointing. She was good, she knew when to moan into his lips or when to pull his hair. She knew how to move her lips, unlike someone else he knew. But even that fail of a kiss seem to mean more to him than this one, which was getting more and more boring.

"Tom," Clearwater breathed out, as Tom begin pressing his lips against her neck. He hummed in response, showing he was listening.

"Does this mean were together?" her voice was so desperate it was sad, and the silence that followed seemed to suffocate her. His lips stopped, and he pressed his forehead against hers.

"No, this is just for tonight," he said softly, knowing that if he wasnt careful, she would probably start crying. He could even see the tears start to form in her eyes as she nodded, still gazing at him with her eyes opened wide. She was pathetic.

Softly, he pressed his lips against hers, wanting to feel the pressure of someone elses lips against his again. She happily kissed him back, letting him use her for however long he liked.

* * *

Abraxas knocked on Riddles door, hoping he would be back by now. It was 3 in the morning.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Riddle asked as he yanked the door open.

"What do you think I want? Tell me how was it then," Abraxas slurred. It was then that Riddle realized that Malfoy was under the influence on alcohol, seeing as he had to lean against the door frame to stand up straight. He might as well talk to him, seeing as Abraxas would forget most of it in the morning.

"It was fine, we did what you probably think we did, and it was...nice."

"You did it?" Malfoy's eyes widened as he stared at Riddle in shock. The boy was better than him if he managed it on the first day he met the girl, in the Astronomy tower.

"No, we just kissed, I obviously stopped her when her hands tried to wonder," Tom said, rolling his eyes at Malfoy, who had begun to laugh.

"Mate, are you gay? Stopped her hands...Why the fuck would you do that?" he choked between the pants of laughter.

"Fuck off."

"So are you going to stop with the Granger shit?" the mention of her stopped Tom, causing him to whirl round and face Malfoy.

"whats the Granger shit?" Tom asked, stressing out the words.

"Well, are you going to stop with the possessive shit now that you found someone new?" Malfoy asked, stretching himself out on to the sofa. Alcohol really seemed to "loosen" him up.

"I'm not possessive," Tom started but was interrupted by Malfoy.

"Bullshit."

"Malfoy,"Riddle gritted out from his teeth, warning Abraxas with his eyes to stop. But he obviously didn't get the hint, sitting up on the sofa to carry on his point.

"You wont let anyone talk to her, whats that all about? It's like you want her all for yourself, but if you're not going to use her right then just give it up. She's hot, I'll have her," Malfoy said, bursting out into fits of laughter. Tom was less than amused, staring darkly at him. He would never give Granger up, as she was always going to be his.

"Get out," Tom growled at him, and watched as Malfoy shakily got up, and wobbled over to the would pay tomorrow.

But Malfoy leaving didn't stop the questions from running through Tom's mind. It wasn't possessive, was it? And yes, he didn't let anyone talk to her, but that was to ruin her stupid stuck up act, not because he wanted her for himself. But if he believed that, then why did he think of her as his? Why was she the face running through his mind today while he kissed another girl?

* * *

Throughout the whole of breakfast Hermione had to listen to Clearwater gushing about "how soft his lips were" and "how caring he was". It was putting her of her appetite listening to how much she went on about him. Hermione didn't feel any need to know what he tasted like or how long they kissed for. Plus, the girls seemed to keep giving her looks, as if she really cared.

It was as if God had entered the room as Riddle approached his place on the Slytherin table. Giggles erupted from the girls sitting next to her, as their eyes followed him closely. Hermione was the only girl not googling him with her eyes, and instead was jabbing her food on her plate.

"So," a girl said to Hermione, causing her to gaze up. It was one of Clearwater's gang, and she had that look in her eyes that meant trouble.

"Yes?" Hermione replied, lifting an eyebrow up at her.

"Whats it like knowing the guy you've obsessed after doesn't want you?" she said, a smirk of triumph plastered over her face. Hermione found it hard not to just slap the stupid bitches face, but she didn't think that would go down well. She felt her blood boiling beneath her skin, and her hands clenched up tightly.

"Why would I be obsessed with him? I'm already fucking engaged," she hissed, loud enough for most the people around her to burst into a fit of whispers. She shouldn't have said that, she didn't want anyone to find out.

"Your what?" squealed the girl, but Hermione was already fast pacing out. _Shit_ she thought to herself, how was she going to get out of this one?

Tom watched Granger as she quickly walked out of the hall, his eyes darkening and his heart pumping faster. So this was what she meant when she had told him she belonged to someone else. _No, _he thought, she was lying. She was not engaged, she couldn't be. He would kill him.

He didn't know that he already had...


	13. Chapter 13

Hope you enjoy this chapter. The ending is a dream, just to be clear. Please review! and follow :) i update every 2 to 3 days normally.

Chapter 13

Hermione didn't know where she was walking too, but she knew it was far away from the classroom she should be walking towards. Why had she said that? Now rumours would spread around the school, and her words would be twisted. Twisted into lies, such as it being arranged, or maybe that she was just lying. Either way. she didn't want to face anyone now.

She kept walking until fingers wrapped around her wrist painfully, causing her to whimper and turn around. She hadn't even heard his breathing or footsteps. It was the last person she wanted to see, let alone talk to. He had somewhere in his mind decided that she was his, although half the time he wanted nothing to do with her.

"Leave me alone Riddle, you're hurting me." she said, trying and failing to wriggle out of his grip. His fingers tightened, and her wrist would probably bruise.

"Care to explain the bullshit you've managed to spread?" he asked her, in a cold but mocking tone. It made her want to rub it in his face even more, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Because she wasnt engaged, not in this time period, not even in the one she used to be in. engagement didn't count if he was dead. Riddle being in front of her, touching her, made her even more mad. The only other time she felt this much hate in her heart was when she saw Ron, lying on the ground. Gone. He had left her.

"Go away, I hate you," Hermione choked out, feeling tears choking up in the back of her throat. She wouldn't cry, not in front of him.

"Is it true? Because I'll kill him. You know I will," Riddle snarled, his eyes slowly turning red. And that was as much as Hermione could take.

Her movements became frantic, scratching and hitting every inch of Riddle that she could get to. She pushed away as hard as she could, trying to twist out of his grip. Tears began betraying her eyes, and it was as if the world had slowed down. She couldn't see or hear Riddle, and the only way she could tell he was there was the feel of his touch on her skin. It felt as if it was burning her, every inch he touched. She clawed and kicked, but she could tell it was a loosing battle. Hermione started screaming for help, although it was her that was creating the big fuss. But no-one could hear her.

His arms suddenly crushed her, holding her so she couldn't move. Her legs buckled beneath her, causing them both to slide down on to the floor. She could feel him everywhere, and if anyone walked past, they would probably think he was embracing her. But Hermione didn't want his touch or warmth. She wanted to be left alone.

She concentrated on both of their breathing, in and out. The rhythm seemed to calm her, and she slowly relaxed into his arms. The adrenaline pumping inside her began to decrease, bringing her thoughts back to normal. The comfort felt nice, although she knew he wasnt showing her any. It was in her head that he cared. But she wanted to believe that he was at least a little human. She moved her face into his shoulder, nuzzling in to the warmth she could find. He flinched, but didn't move.

"He's already dead," came out as a whisper, as she kept her head buried. A feeling of guilt washed over her, as she realised she was hugging the boy who grew up to kill Ron.  
But this version of his hadn't killed Ron yet, and that gave her hope.

* * *

_"Dead..."_

The words washed over Tom, as he thought about Hermione's words. Was anyone going to care as much as Granger cared for the boy who had died. It didn't matter, he thought. he was never going to die.

The words Granger kept yelling were also somehow printed in his memory. The way she screamed _"you murder" _and _"You killed him"_ confused him. The boy had not just died by some illness or muggles reason, he had died because he had been murdered. Tom guessed it was the war that Hermione had come from, before she came to Hogwarts. He would always remember the first day he saw her. She had met nothing to him then, but now she seemed to be on his mind quite a bit.

"Riddle, do you know the answer," asked Slughorn, choosing his favourite student.

"3 times clockwise," answered Riddle, not even realising that he had heard the question in the first place.

"Excellent, 5 points to Slytherin," Slughorn said happily, carrying on explaining whatever he was explaining. It wasnt as if Tom cared anymore about school work, his future was completely planned out.

When the lesson ended Tom threw his bag over his shoulder, heading towards the door.

"Tom," a girl's voice called out, causing everyone to look at him. He stopped at turned to face her, recognising the annoying squeal of her voice.

"Amelia," he replied, trying to be polite but finding it quite difficult.

"How are you?" she asked him, smiling up and playing with her hair. Just as if was about to reply he saw Granger, walking down the corridor. His eyes followed her until she was out of view. When Tom didn't answer, Clearwater turned around to see what he was staring out. Her nose scrunched up and she was about to say something when Riddle interrupted her.

"Good, thank you. Look, I'm sorry Amelia but I have lots of school work and my future to plan. I don't have time for new friendships so I can't be what you want me to be. I'm sorry," Tom said, trying to look as sincere as possible. He wasnt sorry in the slightest, and was trying to think of the different destinations Hermione might be walking to. He decided on The library.

"oh, okay," the girl in front of him replied, looking devastated. She even looked as if she was blinking back tears. Tom gave her a small sorry smile, and headed in the direction Hermione went.

He spotted her instantly, her nose buried in the book she was reading. Her mouths moved as she read, as if she was silently reading out loud. He decided on not disturbing her, so picked out a book and sat down opposite her instead. Her eyes didn't even flicker up, and he was sure she didn't notice him. His eyes scanned over the words on the page, but he couldn't stop looking at Granger fr long. When something happened between them, his feelings towards her always felt a thousand times more intensified.

The brushing of a knee against hers gave Hermione a small heart attack, causing her to jump slightly out of her seat.

"Dont do that," she muttered, looking back at her book, but finding that she couldn't concentrate on it any longer.

"Do what?" he asked, almost sounding playful.

"Creep up on me like that. It's as if you just materialise." she replied to him, kicking him lightly under the table. His feet caught her foot in-between his, and she realised she was playing footsie with Riddle. Footsie with Riddle?

"Get back to your book Granger" he said, a smirk appearing on his face. It was probably the closest thing to a smile that she had ever seen on his face. Hermione looked back down at her book, trying to peek at him without him noticing. She swear she saw him wink.

Amelia Clearwater gritted her teeth as she watched her Tom with Granger. She would not let her steal him. But even she couldn't deny that he wanted Granger more than he would ever want her. And that hurt.

* * *

_"Ron, you're doing it wrong," Hermione squealed, as Ron managed to wrap the fairy lights around them instead of the Christmas tree.  
_

_"How? Its perfect," he said, laughing at himself. He always seemed to find himself hilarious, which would cause Hermione to burst out laughing aswell.  
_

_"It's meant to go around the tree," Hermione replied, trying to get herself untangled. The darkness of the room prevented that though, and she tripped into Ron's steady grip.  
_

_"Careful," he said, helping her re-gain back her balance.  
_

_"Wait, turn the lights on," he said, seeming to have an idea. Although she didn't understand why, Hermione turned on the lights.  
_

_They glowed in the darkness, lighting up their faces. It was beautiful, like being surrounded by lots of different fairies. Ron tilted her face up, and placed his lips softly against hers. Hermione leaned in to his warmth, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The lights suddenly morphed in to fireflies, circling around them.  
_

_But when her hands moved up in to his hair, it didn't feel like Ron's. And the arms holding her didn't feel like Ron's. She leaned away, gazing up at the face that defiantly wasn't Ron's. Blue eyes met hers instead. Riddle.  
_


	14. Chapter 14

Hi, please review on what you think of the story so far and what I can improve, as I really want feedback. It would mean a lot to me. Also, please favourite or follow, as I try to update as quickly as possible. It mostly takes me 2 to 3 days to update, so Its not a long wait. Thank you.

Chapter 14

A thin layer of sweat covered Hermione's body, as she breathed in deep breaths. Her dreams had been her only happy escapes from life and now Riddle was snatching them away too. The last time they spoke may have landed on a good note, but she knew sooner or later he would get restless. He wanted information from her, and after he tries the nice technique, he was going to torture it out.

Slowly, Hermione made her way down to breakfast. She was slightly later than she normally was, and she could smell the delicious smell of food. Hermione took her usual seat, next to the group of girls from her year, that hardly ever spoke to her. But today seemed different.

"Show us your ring then."  
"Your stomach does seem to look rather fat, are you pregnant?"  
"Are you actually engaged, or are you engaged in your head?"  
"Stupid slut would marry anyone who asked her, it's not like she can be picky with those looks."  
"Oh, maybe it was forced. There's no other way a man would ask her."

Questions, comments and insults were fired at her. Hermione tried to ignore them, knowing she shouldn't let them bother her. She was proud of herself for not looking fazed by their horrible remarks, until one comment was fired at her.

"I bet he's killed himself out of the misery of being stuck with you,"

Hermione's eyes had snapped towards the girl, as anger boiled underneath her skin. The girl who had said it gulped, not understanding why only that comment meant something to her.

"Touché now are we Granger," Clearwater said, also wanting to be the reason for Hermione's anger.

Hermione didn't move her eyes off the girl though. They were glued, staring her down.

"I would watch what you say if I were you. Don't want anything bad happening, do you?" Hermione spoke, with venom in her voice. These girls were the stupidest, meanest bitches she had ever come across. They didn't know whether her threat was empty, or whether they should start watching their back.

"I'm not scared of you," was the last thing Hermione heard, as she stormed out.

Amelia watched as everyone sat in silence for a while, picking at their food uneasily, and gave each other nervous looks.

"Was that threat to all of us, or just Thylane?" someone asked, breaking the silence.

"It better not be to all of us, or you're dead," someone else said.

"It wasn't just me that said stuff, you all did. She snapped at all of us," Thylane squealed, not really sure herself if it was directing just at her. But she didn't want to suffer alone.

"But she seemed rather affected by your comment," Amelia spoke, trying to make sense of it. Had something happened to her fiancé, or did the comment seem too harsh for Granger?"

"Oh no," sobbed Thylane, "she has her alliance with Riddle. He'll kill me!"

"She does not have an alliance with Riddle," Amelia gritted out of her teeth. It was her and Tom, not Granger and Tom.

"He told me he hated her, that she was just sucking up to him," Amelia said, more to comfort herself, than prove anything to them. She realised she shouldn't have said it when everyone started laughing and saying that someone should tell Granger. Without a doubt it would get back to her, as the girls on this table were the biggest gossips of the school. But then again, it could work out in her favour. She might get mad at him, and never speak to him again. And he would just think she was making up lies. Amelia just hoped that this wouldn't back fire on her.

Tom looked down the table, trying to find Granger. His eyes seemed to seek her out every 2 minutes, finding comfort in knowing her whereabouts. But he couldn't find her. The space that she had occupied only 2 minutes ago was now empty, with the girls hunched over each other, exchanging hushed whispers. One of the girls caught his eyes, and fear rippled through her. She quickly dropped her stare, leaving a very confused Tom.

He wondered whether he should go looking for Granger, whether something had happened to her. But he didn't want to seem needy or desperate. He had gone after her too may times, and she had never tried to come to him. It suddenly dawned on him that he might be the weaker one between them too. She held the information he wanted, and seemed perfectly content with keeping him in the dark. She would tell him though, he would make sure of that.

The seconds that passed seemed like minutes and Tom waited until it would seem acceptable to leave, without it seeming like he was leaving for a reason. But then again, they answered to him, and not the other way round. Surely he should feel as though he could leave when he wanted, without having to prove any of his actions to them.  
Tom stood up and left, feeling eyes staring at him as he walked. Subconsciously he headed for the library, knowing that she was always there.

He stopped a couple of steps away when he saw her, hunched over a book on the floor. He was going to walk up to her when he saw the tears in her eyes. They flowed rivers down her cheeks, probably dampening the pages of her book. He could still walk away, not having to put up with a crying girl. But she wasn't just a crying girl, she was his girl. He could wrap his arms around her and demand to know what caused her sorrow. Or he could leave…

Without her noticing him, he turned and walked away from her, deciding he didn't actually care what had caused her tears.

* * *

Tom shared a fair amount of his classes with Hermione, although he only sat next to her in on. He guessed that Slughorn had somehow heard something about Tom talking to Granger, so moved her next to him, around a week ago. She always sat the furthest away from him that she could manage, and would keep her belongings on the very edge of the table. But they always seemed to be on a bad note, unlike this time. Yesterday they had managed to be civil with each other, Tom even walking her back to her dorm and bidding her good night. By no means were they friends, but he felt as if he was slowly getting there. He had decided that trust was the best way to try gain the information he wanted. He would wait a while longer, until it was a good time to demand the information from her. Until she was too attached and dependant on him to risk letting him go. It was a long shot, but it might work.

She walked in and sat down next to him, placing her book on to the table. Slughorn had been walking next to her, while the 2 of them talked. A smile even played on her lips, which was a contrast to the sulky mood she had been in the morning. It felt weird, not being the one to cause her foul moods. He didn't like the fact that her emotions could also be caused by other people.

Slughorn walked towards them in the middle of his lesson, as everyone got on with the work he had set.

"How are my 2 favourite students getting along?" he asked, in an overly happy voice.

"Fine thank you professor," Hermione replied, looking up from her potion.

"Tom, I had just invited Miss Granger here to join the Slug Club, isn't that good news?"

"Yes sir it is," Tom replied, not thinking it was good news at all.

"It's a very selected group you see Miss Granger, only the brightest wizards can get in. I think you will actually be our first and only girl," Slughorn chuckled, walking off to see the other potions around the room.

"I take it you accepted the invitation?" Tom asked, knowing the answer was yes. She seemed to be cramming her way deeper into his life than he felt comfortable with.

"How could I have said no?" she asked, looking up into his eyes. Hermione was the type to seek favouritism from all the teachers, always feeling the need for them to like her. He wondered if she would have been like that with all the students too, if they all didn't stay away from her as if she had the plague.

"Well then, you can go with me to the meeting on Sunday after the Hogsmeade trip. Wear a dress, as the dress code is formal."


	15. Chapter 15

Hi, please review and thank you to anyone that has. It's really encouraging! Hope you like this chapter, and please review, follow and favourite it. I would love to hear your thoughts, or if you have any ideas. I update every 2 to 4 days, and try to do it as often as possible.

Chapter 15

Hermione swallowed, not understanding what he meant. Was he asking her out? Did it even count as a date?

"You want to go with me?" Hermione asked, stressing out the me. Riddle rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Just agree Granger. I don't want to have to force you in to it," he said, a finality in his voice. The underling threat was laced behind the words, but Hermione was too baffled by his request to even notice.

She didn't trust herself to speak, as her mouth would probably betray her and start mumbling nonsense. Instead she nodded her head, while avoiding his eyesight.

"And don't flatter yourself Granger, as it is not a date. I'm merely asking you as that is the only reason Slughorn invited you into the club. He seems to have some ridiculous idea that we are secretly together, which is the only reason he likes you."

Just like that, the bubble Hermione was in popped.

She didn't understand why she felt flattered in the first place, as it was Riddle. But then again, no girl could not be flattered if a very attractive boy showed interest in them. Hermione thought she was better than that, seeing as the grown up version of himself had managed to destroy her life. But this boy had not yet been fully broken, and she hoped she could fix the cracks.

"Such a charmer Riddle, and Professor Slughorn shows interest in me as I show interest in his lessons, and answer the questions correctly. Not because of you," Hermione said to him, trying to keep her tone light, but her annoyance could still be heard. Hermione worked hard for her grades, and she would not let Riddle take that pride away from her.

"But you see Granger, no matter how hard you try or study, you will never be his favourite," Tom replied, using a mocking tone with her. He seemed to like winding her up.

"That is only because this school is ridiculously prejudice," Hermione muttered angry, looking down at her complete potion. She wanted to do something with her hands, so she could keep them occupied and not punch something. All the anger towards her having to learn cleaning spells was getting to her. She had to pretend to be a Pureblood, but still she was thought of lower than even some dim male students. She even had to watch other people be ashamed of themselves, just because they were not a Pureblood.

"Go on then Granger, say some ridiculously boring quote you have tucked up your sleeve about people being prejudice," Riddle said, looking straight at her. She met his eye sight, but didn't say anything. She didn't want it to sound as if she was trying to prove herself to him, because she had nothing to prove. But the quote stuck out in her head, and was a quote that her mother had told her. She missed her mum.

"Nobody's perfect, but everyone's the same," Hermione said, before she could stop herself. She had always found it very true, no matter how much people refused to believe it. Hermione knew that Riddle was going to be one of those people that refused to believe it. He would hate the thought of her classing him the same as everyone else, but to some extent it was true.

People didn't obviously think the same, or do the same things. But everyone had a heart, blood pumping through them, the same senses and a pain receptor… History may have changed over time, but if you compare life stories of those in this time period to those in her former life period, they were similar. People get crushes, fall in love and have their heart broken. Life, to some aspect, always stays the same.

"I'm not the same to you in any way Granger," Riddle said, laughing at her. His reaction had been expected, but Hermione had no idea how she would ever make him understand. He was a "special" case after all.

"We both have hands," Hermione said, lifting up a hand in front of her. He bought his palm up and placed it on hers, surprising her.

It was what she used to do when she was little with her dad, when she was comparing her hand size against his. She had always felt so little, as her fingers would only ever reach half of his.

"See, my hand is bigger than yours. Therefore I am superior," Riddle said, snapping her out of her thoughts. The smile on his face wasn't genuine, but was still a smile. In this contexts he was using it as a joke, but it was sad to think that he really believed it.

Hermione removed her hand from his, sighing in slight frustration. The boy was ridiculously full of himself, thinking he was one of the greatest people alive. She hated how, even if it was the tiniest amount, she was starting not to hate him. It scared her.

* * *

Tom was definitely not the same as anyone, nor did he want to be. There was a reason dark thoughts floated around his head, which were reasons he didn't want to re-visit. He had managed to keep them burrowed deep down, but those reasons were what made him how he was now. And he wouldn't want to be anybody else.

He stood opposite Granger, who had curled herself up in to a tight ball on the couch of the Common Room. She slept softly, while breathing in deep but silent breaths. He realised that he must look like a creep to anyone who passed by, so would either have to leave or wake her up. He was just about to walk away when his lips formed her name.

"Granger."

She moved slightly, but didn't wake up. He walked over towards her, ready to gently shake her awake. But that's what people who cared for each other did, and Tom didn't care for her. He felt very possessive towards her, but he didn't actually care. He didn't even think he could even feel that emotion to someone that wasn't him.

Tom picked up the book from Grangers lap, and folded the corner of the page over. He placed it back on top of her then started to walk away. When he reached the door he turned around to catch one more glimpse.

"Granger, wake up," he called out, loudly enough to wake her.  
He was gone by the time she woke up.

When Tom walked in to his dorm, the head girl was reading on the couch. Her name was Minerva McGonagall, and was a Gryffindor. Her eyes wandered up spotting Tom, causing her cheeks to suddenly flush red. The fact that she was obsessed with work reminded Tom of Granger, but this girl lacked the depth Granger had. Granger was really something.

Tom nodded his head politely in her direction, which was his way of acknowledging her, and walked towards his bedroom. He collapsed on the bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering how long he was going to be stuck here for. He had his plans for the future already, and was desperate for them to begin. A life without stupid muggles, like his father, to pollute the superior race with their filthiness. A life where he would not fear death, because his ending would never come.

But his mind slowly drifted of to Granger, thinking of the way her eye lashes curled against her skin while she slept.

A thought suddenly entered his mind. Granger was in none of the plans he held for his future. She had no place by his side. Would she meet someone, and have lots of know-it-all bushy haired children? The thought annoyed Tom, his jealousy kicking in. If anyone got to love her, it would get to be him. But he could never offer her that. He didn't have any love to offer.

Suddenly he wasn't so desperate to leave Hogwarts.


	16. Chapter 16

Please review and follow the story. Thank you to everyone who has.

Chapter 16

Hermione wondered what she could wear for Hogsmeade, although she had nobody to go with. She didn't particularly want to go, but she needed a dress to wear for Slughorn's club.

She suddenly remembered hearing from the girls that you needed a date if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade. No one had asked her, and she knew no one would. But she desperately needed to go, because she needed a dress to wear. She looked up at the clock, realising she still had 45 minutes to ask someone to take her. She knew exactly who she was going to ask.

It had been Riddle's fault anyway, she thought. He had gotten her in this place, where she had to desperately find someone who would accept to take her. Everyone else would either say no, or laugh hysterically.

She hovered in front of the door, scanning her mind for anyone else she could ask. But when no one else came to mind, she quickly knocked on the door.

Abraxas slowly pealed himself of the girl who his lips were attached too, and walked towards the door. He hoped it wasn't Victoria, who claimed they were still together, although he had made it clear to her that they were not. For some reason she told everyone that they were going to this Hogsmeade trip together, even though he had told her he was busy.  
He was surprised to find Granger, biting her lip nervously, standing behind his door.

"Malfoy, will you go to this Hogsmeade trip with me?" She asked, looking everywhere but him. He had no idea how to answer that, whether to laugh at her or tell her to fuck off. Was she even being serious? She looked as if she was, and she was also clearly losing a fragment of the huge pride she had. Desperation seeped through her eyes, and he thought of maybe saying yes, just to show kindness after the way he treated her. But Malfoy's didn't need to show kindness.

And Riddle would kill him.

He began shutting the door on her face, when she wedged her foot inside, stopping the door from closing.

"Why would you ever think I would agree to take you to Hogsmeade Granger?" Abraxas spat at her, giving his signature snare.

"I need to buy a dress, and I can't go to Hogsmeade without a date," Granger mumbled, looking down at her feet, completely ignoring his question.

"And why would you ever think I cared?" He asked again, getting impatient. There was a girl waiting for him on his bed, why was he bothering to talk to Granger?

"Riddle asked me to go with him to Slughorn's formal dinner, well I think it is a dinner anyway," Granger said, finally looking at Abraxas. He knew exactly how this conversation was going to end now. Him having to take her. The stupid witch had to use the Riddle card, but that wouldn't stop Abraxas trying to get out of it.

"Go ask Riddle to take you then," Abraxas said, realising how stupid that sounded once he said it. No girl, even Hermione Granger, would have the guts to ask Riddle to do something for them. He didn't for favours. The way Grangers eyes pleaded with him confirmed his assumption, she was scared.

"Please," she said, begging him with his eyes. Abraxas hesitated, wondering if he could get away with just closing the door. It was too early for him to start being able to use Granger to get to Riddle, as at the moment he would only be pissed of. Abraxas had to wait until the time was right, and it was nowhere near right.

"Fine," He said, the annoyance in his voice clearly showing. He stalked back in to his room to grab a coat, sneaking a glance at the girl who was still waiting for him. He through the coat over his shoulders, and walked back to Granger.

"We'll carry this on tomorrow," he yelled at the girl, who was starting to be aware that she was being ditched. She blinked a couple of times at him as he walked away with Granger. He felt bad, but felt more pity on himself. Riddle was going to get the wrong end of the stick, but wasn't going to be tortured because of Granger. He wouldn't let that happen.

"I'll meet you where we met last time, same table, in an hour. Don't be late this time," said Malfoy, as he walked off suddenly. Hermione watched him leave, feeling bad for ruining his weekend. She wondered in to a shop that had dresses on display, and started looking through them. The faster she could pick a dress, the more time she would have buying a book. 1 hour wasn't long.

She picked different ones up, some floor length and some knee length. They were all pretty, but Hermione couldn't picture herself in any of them.

"Dear, would you like some help," a woman asked, walking up to her smiling.

"Yes please. I'm looking for a dress to wear for a formal event. I want something…pretty," Hermione said, not being very helpful at all. Of course she was looking for something pretty, it isn't as if she would be looking for a dress that was ugly.

"We'll find something for you dear, just hop into the changing rooms and I'll bring out dresses for you to try on," she said, while heading over to different dresses and picking them up.

Hermione walked over to the dressing rooms, slowly pealing of the jumper she was wearing. The temperature inside the shop was warm, but the breeze outside was chilly. She put on the first dress, deciding that this was the one she was going to buy. It was light blue, and draped along the floor.

Hermione stepped out, but the woman helping her thrust another dress in to her arms.

"Oh, I was just thinking of buying this dress," Hermione said, smiling lightly and trying to hand back the dress that was now in her arms.

"Nonsense, you could do better than that. We need to find _the one_," The woman replied, not taking the dress off her.

Hermione sighed and walked back into the changing room, pealing the dress off her. She was hoping to have finished by now, and she thought the blue dress was perfectly adequate. She felt nothing like she had felt for the Yule ball, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to be happy when she was with Riddle.

The next dress was awful, and made it look as if she was pregnant. She tried on dress after dress, the woman rejecting them all, handing her another dress on to try. She had liked a few, but they didn't seem to be good enough.

Then Hermione realised what the woman had meant by _The One_. This dress was definitely the one. It was pure white, apart from a gold strip around her waist. The dress was quite short, showing a fair amount of leg. But the extra translucent fabric at the back flowed to the floor. It fit her beautifully, and as she walked out of the changing room, the woman smiled at her, while putting down the dress she had in her hand.

"You look beautiful," she said, and Hermione felt it. She twirled around, loving the way the fabric and the back swished against her leg.

It was definitely _The One_.

* * *

Hermione hovered at the entrance of the 3 Broomsticks early, waiting for Malfoy to come. Shad had 20 minutes after she bought the dress to meet him, and she hadn't trusted herself to be finished that quickly. She couldn't be late again, especially as he was doing her a huge favour in taking her. But he was late this time.

She was contemplating on whether she could quickly nip into the bookshop when she saw him. They walked in and sat at a table together, while neither of them spoke. They didn't speak to each other while they ordered their drinks, or when their drinks arrived. She thought they wouldn't speak at all, until Malfoy sighed and started talking.

"You're explaining to Riddle why I had to take you." He said, taking a sip of his Butterbeer, his eyes glued on her.  
She was going to ask him if he was scared, but she held her tongue. She didn't think it would go down very well.

"Okay," she said quietly, looking down into her water.

"I'm sorry," Hermione hadn't meant to say that, but Malfoy's tight expression immediately relaxed. It had obviously been what he expected or wanted her to say. She had lost so much of her pride since she came here, she was starting to feel as if she had none left. She was kissing up to anyone that would let her, begging for some attention. She had always felt content with her own company before, but now she felt as if it was getting extreme. She shouldn't need to say sorry at all, as they had made her life horrible. But all of this was worth it if she could change Riddle, and she would die trying.

"Granger, are you scared?" He asked softly, almost moving to place his hand on top of hers. Was she scared? Yes, she was terrified, but not for the reasons he thought. She was terrified of failing, she always had been.

She nodded her head anyway, and he gave her a pity smile.

"Learn to suck it up, that fear will never leave you," he muttered, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. She wondered what Riddle had made him suffer through, and she felt sorry for him. He had a family, she didn't. He was a lot more vulnerable. But she saw the pain inside him, the pain he covered up by being a complete prick and getting with every girl he could find. He was a lot like Draco.

"I'm not going to live in fear Malfoy, just you watch," she told him, possibly trying to reassure him that things were going to get better. He made eye contact with her, then nodded.

But both of them had different plans in their head, and only one plan was going to work. Both plans were going to break her.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Malfoy stopped at Granger dorm room, turning to face her. This would usually be the time were he would kiss the girl and if he was lucky, get inside her room. But she already belonged to someone else, someone who would kill him if he tried to do anything.

"Well, see you then Granger," he said, turning around to walk away.

"Thank you," she called out to him, as he walked away.

He felt content with himself for the first time, a smug smirk playing at his lips. That was until he walked into his dorm.

Everything was wrecked, with glass smashed on the floor. Riddle was standing in the middle of the mess, a vacant look on his face. Although Riddle had tilted his face towards him, his eyes just went right through him. He looked emotionally exhausted, but empty. He looked broken.

Abraxas didn't trust his lips to talk and say something that wouldn't offend Riddle, as Riddle was probably already on the edge.

"What the fuck were you doing with Granger?" Riddle finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Ask Granger," Abraxas replied angrily, knowing that his good deed was going to backfire.

"Tell me what the fuck you were doing with Granger Malfoy," Riddle said, lifting his wand out of his pocket, looking down at it. When his eyes landed on Malfoy they flashed red, anger building inside of him.

"She wanted to by a dress for the Slughorn event," he replied as quickly as possible, his heart rate picking up. Riddle would not have mercy on him, not if Granger was involved.

"She knocked on my door, and told me that if she didn't have a dress she couldn't go with you. I was doing you a favour. Please Sir," gushed out Abraxas as he squeezes his eyes shut, when he felt the tip of Riddle's wand being pressed against his neck.

Please, please, please, he chanted in his head. It was as if a weight was being lifted off his shoulders when the wand was removed. Abraxas didn't move, breathe, or open his eyes while he heard the noise of Riddles foot steps. As soon as he heard the slamming of his door he took a giant breathe, and opened his eyes. He was left standing alone. Or so he thought. Pain shot through his body as his knees buckled, and the floor collided with his face.

* * *

Riddle walked into his dorm room, and sank down onto the sofa. It wasn't meant to happen this way, he thought. He didn't understand why he had cared so much when Black told him the he saw Granger and Malfoy together in Hogsmeade. It felt as if he was being betrayed, and a tiny piece of his heart was ripping. He had also felt pure hate, brewing beneath his skin. She needed to know that she was his, and that parading herself by Malfoy's side was unacceptable. And Malfoy needed to know that he was not allowed to touch his property, not under any circumstances.

His heart felt like it was in a prison. Why hadn't she asked him?

"Granger," he called out, spotting he in the hallway the next day. He wanted to ignore her, to get over the obsession he had. His lips thought differently of the matter.  
She turned around, her eyes big and wide, stopping in the middle of the crowd. Everyone dodged them as they walked past, their eyes gazing at them as long as they possibly could.

She walked into an empty classroom next to them, shooting him a look which meant for him to follow.

"Why did you do it Riddle?" She angrily asked him, her eyes not being able to look him in the eye.

"You are mine Granger," Tom replied in a bored tone, causing her eyes to snap up at him.

"I am not yours. And I want nothing to do with a cold-hearted murder," She spat at him, narrowing her eyes. He didn't say or feel anything, no remorse or guilt. She waited there, expecting some reply from him. He couldn't care less about Malfoy, or anyone for that matter. It was the cold harsh truth. Apart from her.

"You know, it's better to feel pain than feel nothing," she told him, her eyes staying strong, but he couldn't see the invisible tears falling. She could feel them though.

"Pain is a weakness Granger." he said, shaking his head at her. He slowly walked towards her, trapping her between him and the wall. He lifted his fingers and brushed the side of her face, but she flinched away from his touch.

"Granger, I'm never going to love you. I'm never going to care for you. I'm never going to be what you deserve in life. But I refuse to let you go." He said, each word conforming what she already knew. She nodded her head ever so slowly, then tilted it back to rest it against the wall.

Her neck was exposed, and her eyes were scrunched up. He lifted 2 fingers to rest against her neck, feeling the pulse beneath them. The heartbeat that belonged to him. He gently leaned in at pressed a kiss where his fingers had been.

"Mine," he whispered, as he pressed butterfly soft kisses against her neck. He could hear her heart quickening, and he leaned in to steal a kiss from her lips. Her lips didn't move beneath his, and he leaned away. He looked her in the eyes, pleading with her to kiss him back. He needed it.

"I want you, just because I can't love you doesn't mean I don't want you," he said desperately, capturing her face with his hands. But the fear on her face showed him she didn't want him back. No one was ever going to want him back.

"Tell me you hate me," she told him, grabbing his robes with her hands, and clutching them tightly. It was what he had told her last time.

"I hate you," he whispered, stepping back. She nodded, letting go of his robes. It was the wrong thing to say, he thought, as she lifted her bag off the floor and walked away.

_Please don't leave me..._

But she was already gone.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Hermione cried herself to sleep that night, her dreams filled with a dark mysterious figure, killing everyone she loved. Only towards the end of the dream, he appeared in front of her, and placed his hand on her cheek. He hand no face, but she could tell by the texture, and how softly the hand held her, that it was Riddle.

_"I want you. Just because I can't love you doesn't mean I don't want you,"_

The words started echoing around in her head, bouncing around. He wanted her, which meant that she could start to pretend to want him. She hoped that if his 'want' ever became 'care' then she would have succeeded in changing him even a little. She just needed to help him find some emotion that was buried deep down, so that he could feel remorse. So that he could feel guilt, and so that he could feel love.

She couldn't imagine life without love. She loved Ron, with all her heart and soul. She loved her parents, so much that she managed to let them go to keep them safe. Hermione loved Harry like a brother, keeping strong for him when she felt her whole world was ending, and there was no point in living anymore. She felt sorry for Riddle.

Love is giving someone the power to destroy you, and trusting them not to.

* * *

He stopped talking to her again, she noticed. It wasn't rare for days to pass without him speaking a word to her, but she didn't even feel his stares. She tried to make eye contact with him, and she was left confused. He had told her he wanted her, and she was his partner to Slughorn's dinner party. She had already bought the dress.

But she hadn't used her moment with Riddle wisely, and instead got overwhelmed with the warm feeling that spread inside her stomach. She should have kissed him, like she was supposed too. However, she had suddenly become very scared. Because instead of her plan being in her head, she was thinking about how blue his eyes were and how kissable his lips looked. She forgot that it was a game she was playing on him, not him with her. Although, she was pretty certain he was playing a game with her too, because he wanted to know how she knew about his plans.

She bit her lip as she knocked on Riddle's door. He pulled it open whilst staring at her, probably contemplating on just shutting it.

"I don't know what I've done," Hermione quickly said.

"I don't know what you're talking about Granger. I was studying," Riddle replied, using his pissed off voice with her.

"Why do you insist on being so difficult? I'm sorry for whatever I've done that has upset you or angered you in any way. Just please stop being mad," Hermione said, realizing that this was close to grovelling. She didn't like having to throw her pride away, but it was necessary.

He let out a massive sigh while shaking his head, then opened the door wider so that she could step in. He flung himself down on to the couch, squeezing his eyes shut. Hesitantly, Hermione lowered herself on to the couch next to him, waiting for him to speak.

"I can't do it Granger," he spoke, after what seemed like forever.

"Do what?"

"Love you."

The words came out shakily, but she knew he meant it. He couldn't love now, but she was hoping he could feel love in the future. Maybe marry a stuck up Pureblood, but she would stop him in becoming Voldermort. Stop him in becoming a monster. But she needed to teach him what love is, which involved him having to care for her. She didn't know if she would succeed, but she would try.

"No ones asking you to love me. You can love whoever you want."

"Don't you see Granger? I'm never going to love anyone. You are the closet thing I have to caring for someone, and I'm not going to let that go."

"Well then try to care for me Riddle."

The words that both of them knew but weren't spoke, hovered between them. He didn't want to care. And if he had spoke Hermione had made a bet with herself that he would say "Caring is a weakness". But in time she hoped that she would change that. One day, when she asks him to care for her, he will say "I'll try" or "I'll do my best".

Riddle slowly lifted his hand to cradle her face, and then rubbed lazy circles against her lips with his thumb. His eyes had stopped staring at hers, but instead where looking at her lips. Hermione's breathing had stopped, waiting for him to lean in.

"Kiss me this time," he said gently, and she knew that she had no choice but to agree with him.

His lips captured hers, and for the first time, she moved her lips underneath his. Clearwater was telling the truth when she said he was a good kisser. But Hermione didn't feel any butterflies in the pit of her stomach, or see any fireworks beneath her eyelids. But he was good.

His hands both held her face, as she placed her arms around his neck. He knew what angle to tint his head for the kiss to be perfect, and where the sensitive parts of her lips were. It was her first proper kiss with Riddle, and she didn't hate it.

"I don't hate you Granger," he whispered against her lips. He then moved his face into the crook of her neck, burying it their. She moved her hand to hold him, not knowing that he had never received a hug before. Not a proper hug, where someone embraced him and showed him love.

After a while he lowered himself into her lap, her fingers caressing his hair. He kept his eyes closed, breathing in deep breaths.

"Granger?" he muttered softly, slowly dozing off to sleep.

"Yes Riddle?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"You're heart needs love. Everyone's heart needs love" Hermione mumbled, pressing a kiss against his temple. He nodded off quickly, his head still in her lap.

They say we accept the love we think we deserve. Did that mean he thought he didn't deserve any?


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Tom woke up with his head in Granger's lap, her fingers resting in his hair. And he felt peaceful. He remembered how her lips danced across his, and how his stomach had been filled with butterflies. He remembered how It felt like it was just him and her in the world, and nothing else mattered.

But as he lay, thinking about last night, darker scenes flashed across his mind. Memories that he had managed to keep hidden and buried, but were the cause of his bitter hate to the world. After all, people weren't born evil, they became it.

_Her lips pushed harder against his, hard enough to bruise. _

He chose not to remember his past for a reason, and he hated muggles for many reasons. Granger wasn't a muggle though, her blood was clean. Tom found it hard to accept that his blood wasnt clean, that dirt flowed through his veins, and he relied on the dirt to keep him alive.

Instead of moving, Tom lay there, waiting for the seconds to tick by. It was a weird, thinking about your life just ticking by. That each second was the youngest he was ever going to be at that certain point, but also the oldest he had ever been. He didn't want to waste the precious moments, but this wasnt wasting them. Granger wasnt a waste. She was a distraction; a way to procrastinate. Never a waste. _Hermione._

He could tell that she was awake aswell, as he could hear her intake of breaths. Tom wondered whether she knew he was awake, or whether she would try to wake him up. He wondered how long they were just going to sit there for, and he hoped forever.

The loud knocks on the door made both of them jump, and Granger peered down to check whether it had woken him up. She smiled down at him when she realised his blue eyes were looking up at her. He couldn't bring himself to smile back, but maybe one day he would.

"Are you awake?" she asked.

Well obviously, he thought. It wasnt as if he slept with his eyes open... Tom rolled his eyes at her, lifting his head off her lap and sitting up straight. The knocking started again, getting louder and more desperate, but Tom made no effort into standing up to answer it.

"Granger, go get the door," he spoke once the knocking was becoming annoying. She hesitated on getting up at first, not wanting to take orders by him. But she got up to answer it anyway, not wanting to ruin his content mood with her.

* * *

Abraxas waited by the door nervously, wondering if his knocking was too much. If Riddle wasn't in a good mood, then he should prepare himself for the Cruciatus Curse. But Malfoy knew that this was important, especially as it may distract him for a while.

The door finally opened, and Abraxas started muttering his apologies for knocking so much, when he noticed that it was not Riddle standing in front of him, but instead Granger.

"Granger?" He couldn't help the worlds sounding like a snarl, but he didn't understand why she had opened the door. It was unlikely that she had stayed the night, as the girl thought more highly of herself than that. But there was no other possible explanation that made sense. And her cheeks were also bright red.

"What is it Malfoy?" Riddles voice came from inside, a bored but slightly annoyed tone. Abraxas peered around the door, causing Granger to shuffle back, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

Riddle was slouching on the couch, his hair messy and uncombed. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, and his arms were tightly wrapped around his legs. He looked lost.

"I have a letter for you. Is everything okay sir?" Abraxas asked, is voice turning very polite. He noticed Grangers shock at the word 'sir', and how her eyebrows knotted in confusion. She obviously wouldn't understand.

"Fine Malfoy," Tom breathed out, his eyes turning to look at Granger. He just stared at her, while she flushed and shuffled around nervously.

"I shou...should go," she stuttered, shifting towards the door.

"Granger, wait in my room," he commanded her, his eyes finally landing on Abraxas.

"I really think its best if I..." Granger began to stay but Riddle didn't give her a chance to finnish, telling her to stop talking and go to his room. Riddle waited until his bedroom door shut until he started talking.

"I'm assuming this is important Malfoy," he said, standing up and walking towards him.

Quietly, Abraxas placed the letter in Riddles outstretched hand.

"It's about Grindelwald," Abraxas whispered, his eyes nervously shifting around the room. Riddle nodded, giving him un-asked for permission to leave. Abraxas wanted to ask about Granger, but felt as though Riddle wouldnt "appreciate" his curiosity. So instead he did what any other person would do when Riddle asked them to leave; he got up and left.

Tom quickly ripped away the access paper, reading the letter that had been concealed inside. Once Tom was finished reading ,he looked up to find himself alone. He crumpled the piece of paper, and let it burn in his hand. He watched the flames flicker upwards, the words turning in to black ashes. What happens to words once they are destroyed? Do they go anywhere, or do they stay forever? Maybe words are only destroyed when there is no evidence left, and no one remembers them. And maybe that's how languages are going to die, because there is no one left to speak them.

Tipping is hand to dispose of the ashes, Tom made his way towards his bedroom. She was their, perched on the edge of his bed. Would she agree on holding him a little longer, as their time together was getting less and less. He needed her comfort and warmth, and her care.

Once he finished taking shaky steps towards her, he also sat on the edge of his bed, their thighs just touching. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to collapse backwards on the soft mattress.

"Riddle? What did Malfoy want?" she pestered him, which was the opposite of what he wanted. Why couldn't she just lay down next to him, and tell him everything was going to be fine. Why couldn't she just be what he needed? But his lips couldnt form words that asked her to just ly down with him, and so only a groan escaped his lips.

Nothing was even wrong, he thought. But everything was happening sooner than he wanted it too. He would never admit it to anyone, but he felt scared. Terrified.

"Tell me how the fuck you know about my name. Nobody ever told you." The words flew out of his mouth before he could stop then, as he harshly captured her wrist in his hand.

"I can't," she whimpered, getting hurt from the pain of death grip. He sighed, letting go her wrist angrily.

"Just leave Granger," he spat, his fingers resting on his temples, rubbing smooth calming circles.

He didn't mean the words though. He wanted her to hold him. He didn't want to be left alone. But she was already gone, letting the door swing shut behind her.

_Dear Riddle_

_We have received your letter, but rejected your opinion. Grindelwald works alone, and we do not allow minors into such high positions.  
_

_However, if you decide that being part of the Army is enough, then we would be happy to accept you.  
_

_You know where to find us  
_

_Grindelwald Army  
_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Hermione stared at herself while standing in front of the mirror. He was going to knock on the door soon, and they were going to spend an evening smiling at each other, pretending to have fun. She now wished she rejected Slughorn's invitation to his club, but she wanted to prove that girls were just as good as boys. Only it was ridiculous, as if Riddle was correct, then she was only invited for his sake. He was probably right, she thought. It didn't matter how hard she tried, or how clever she was. She was never going to be fully accepted.

Any other girl would probably kill to be in Grangers shoes, but her and Riddle weren't talking. Dealing with his mood changes seemed to be becoming a full-time occupation. But she remembered the look on his face as he fell asleep on her lap. Pure calmness.

The back of the dress fell to the floor, and lifted up when Hermione swirled. She wore her hair up in an elegant bun, little curly strand falling out. And she wanted to feel beautiful, she really did. But she couldn't.

She had begun wondering whether he was going to turn up, when she heard the knocking on her door. He was dressed in smart dress robes, surprisingly being black and not green. He looked amazing, and Hermione felt like a weed next to him.

His eyes travelled up and down, looking at her fully. She felt incredibly exposed to him, and wished she had chosen something that covered her up more. He offered no reassuring smile that she looked okay, but exhaled loudly a breath she hadn't realised he was holding.

"Lets go," he said, already starting to walk. It was harder to keep up with him in heels, and a few times Hermione stumbled. But it wasn't like he cared.

He stopped a couple of paces ahead, holding out his hand to her. Hermione stared at it in confusion, not knowing what to do.

"Well take it then Granger, he expects it," Riddle snapped at her after 2 seconds, causing her to flinch back. He noticed and sighed, slipping his fingers between hers and then dropping their hands down. His palm was warm compared to hers, but it stung slightly. The gaps between her fingers were not meant for his, but it didn't feel wrong. It just didn't feel right.

As they stepped inside, Hermione was taken away by how beautiful the room was done up. Hovering candles filled the sides of the room, creating a magical glow. A large round table was placed in the middle of the room, where the majority of people were sitting already.

Hermione walked over to the plate with her name written on it , which had to be between Riddle and Malfoy. Malfoy was already seated, involved in a conversation already with the person on the other side of him. She lowered herself in to her seat looking around, recognising some familiar faces.

"Tom, Hermione, how wonderful to see you both here together," Slughorn said to them happily, walking over. Hermione did what Riddle had told her to do, and plastered a bright smile on her face. Riddles managed to lift the corners of his lips up enough to make him look happy.

"Arent you lucky Tom, managing to snatch up such a pretty girl?" He said, patting Riddle shoulder. A fraction of her heart warmed up at being called pretty, as she hadn't received a compliment in a long time.

"Thank you sir," Hermione replied, her smile becoming more genuine towards him.

She sat through the rest of the meal, still trying to look happy. But if anyone looked closely enough, they would be able to tell she was bored out of her mind. No one tried to engage in a conversation with her, and eyes shifted awkwardly between her and Riddle. She wondered whether he was the cause of no-one talking to her, or whether they wouldnt have anyway.

"Malfoy," she whispered, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. It took a few minutes but finally he turned to her and hissed "what?".

"I'm bored," she replied quietly, strumming her fingers on the table. She felt as though she could talk to Malfoy, as although she was a burden, he had to reply and be nice. Before all this began he had shown her kindness, although she doubted he would ever show that kindness again.

"I don't give a shit," he said back, emphasizing the last word. She scrunched her nose up at him, looking down at her almost empty plate. Although she already knew he wouldn't care, the words still stung slightly. She hadn't gotten used to the fact that no one cared for her anymore.

" Nobody does," she muttered subconsciously, stabbing her fork in to the funny looking foam on her plate. She tried to stop the thoughts of her parents enter her mind, because she knew that she would end up crying in front of everyone if she thought of them. She missed them more than words could describe.

"Granger I'm-" Malfoy began, not knowing himself what he planned on saying, but stopped when Riddle placed his arm on the back of Hermione's seat. They both stared at it, and so did everyone else.

"I hope you're having a pleasant time," Riddle said, causing Hermione to turn and look at him. She plastered the fake smile back on her lips and nodded, knowing they had an audience. This was the first time both of them were talking to each other, and nobody wanted to miss it.

"Lovely, thank you," she replied, putting on a show by looking up at him between her lashes and batting them.

"Perfect. We can leave soon as then."

"What? Is there no desert?"

"Of course there is, but we shall not stay."

"But Tom, dessert is my favourite part," Hermione said, forcing out his name from her mouth. She hadn't called him Tom before, and he looked up at her in confusion. She had to say it, as people would aspect it. She had only heard Clearwater say his name, but that girl made his name sound like the words of God or something.

"As she wish Hermione," he replied, letting her name flow off the tip of his tongue. Her name sounded weird on his lips, but he didn't say it spitefully or mockingly. He had called her by her name for the same reason as she had called him by his.

"Thank you."

He didn't touch his dessert though, although he lifted his fork a couple of times.

"You're allowed to like desert you know," she whispered, leaning in close. He rolled his eyes at her, putting his fork down for the fifth time.

"Why would I think I wasnt allowed?"

"Because you have a reputation to keep up," Hermione replied smiling, dipping her fork in to his cake. He swatted her hand away, but she quickly put the fork between her lips and hummed in pleasure. He looked at her in mock anger, and she laughed as she quickly stole some more.

"Granger," he growled as a warning, but the fork was already being lifted to her lips. It wasnt as if he could do or say anything in front of everyone, she thought. And she also had to convince everyone that they were a couple as that was what he wanted.

Instead of putting the cake in her mouth, she extended it to him. He shook his head, but she kept the fork beside his lips, waiting for him to take it. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, not knowing what Riddle's reaction to this playful side of Hermione was going to be.

His tongue darted out, and swiped the cake of the fork, earning a smile from Hermione. Once she realised that she she was eating from Riddles cake, and she had fed Riddle from her fork she froze, placing the fork arm was still on the back of her chair.

* * *

"That went rather well," Tom said, as he walked Hermione back to her room.

"It was okay."

"You managed to smile and act as if we were a couple, so well done."

"Thank you," Granger replied, the small smile from her face falling.

"Riddle, why do you want me to pretend that I am your girlfriend?"

"Because I want you to be my girlfriend," the word girlfriend sounded wrong, Tom thought, and he also prefered her calling him Tom. She was quiet, probably not fully understanding him.

"Look Granger, some part of me wants to care for you, and I still don't understand why. But I can't, so I at least want to pretend I can," he said, not knowing how to say exactly how he felt. But not being with her he felt as though he was failing at something, and Tom never failed.

She didn't reply, and they walked in silence the rest of the journey. He didn't know whether she understood him, he hoped she did. He didn't want to hurt her.

They stopped in front of her room, and she hesitated before she opened it. This was the part where he was supposed to kiss her goodnight, and he wanted to kiss her. So he decided that he shall.

He lifted is fingers to rest upon her cheeks, and when she closed her eyes, he leaned his lips in and placed them on top of hers. She tasted of vanilla and cinnamon, and she smelled of fresh rain and perfume. Under his fingers she felt like the softest velvet, and he didn't want to ever have to stop. She had gotten in to his senses, and he had become addicted.

While he kissed her, he felt infinite.


	21. Chapter 21

chapter 21

Abraxas flung himself on to his bed, screwing his eyes shut. She looked beautiful. He was glad Riddle had interrupted him when he did, as something stupid would have spilled from his lips. Like telling her she was beautiful.

A sudden knocking jolted him out of his thoughts, and when we went to open the door, a dead looking Riddle was behind it.

"Sir, did you want something?" Abraxas began to ask, as Riddle pushed past him and went to sit on the couch. It was humiliating having to call him sir, because he was even older than him. But Riddle was too strong to cross, and if calling him sir stopped him from getting angry, then he would suffer in silence. The fall of Riddle would be soon anyway, he hoped.

"Cut the crap Malfoy, this isn't work related," Riddle replied, bringing his fingers to his temples.

"Whats it about then?" asked Abraxas, already knowing the answer. If it wasn't work related, then it was Granger related.

In response Riddle just sighed, curling into himself. The answer was clearly obvious, but Abraxas hated how complicated Riddle was making it.

"Let her go," Abraxas said, knowing that it was completely against his plan. For his plan to work, Riddle had to feel at least a small amount of love for her. But he could see the sadness in her eyes, and even though before she was fighting in a war, she had been loved. Riddle had made sure that no one would ever get close to her, so that she relied on his company.

"I wont ever let her go Malfoy. You know I can't."

"It's not fair on her Riddle."

"I will _not _let her go."

"She deserves to be loved. She deserves to be cared for."

"I'M TRYING," Riddle shouted, breathing quick, fast and angry pants. He was standing, both is fists scrunched up in to balls.

"I'm trying," He said again softer, sitting back down on the couch.

"Try harder," Abraxas told him bitterly, knowing that sooner or later he was going to cross the line.

The silence that followed was long and painful, and the tension could be sliced with a knife. Abraxas wondered how long Riddle planned to stay, thinking of just climbing in to bed and going to sleep. He could see the clocks ticking inside Riddle's head, and the boy was obviously deep in thought.

"Abraxas...Do you ever think she will be able to care for me. Will she ever love me?" and at the point, Riddle sounded young and vulnerable. He didn't sound like a boy who planned on killing all muggles, or someone who enjoyed torturing others. He sounded lost. _Broken._

"Yes, I think she will," Abraxas told him, which was ironic really. Because if he was to name the one girl who wouldn't fall in love with him, he would have named her. She was too clever to fall for him.

* * *

Hermione caught Riddle's eye as she sat down at breakfast. The boy had bag under his eyes, and his hair was messier than its usual self. She wondered whether something had happened, and whether they were still in speaking terms. She hoped they were, as he became much more pleasant.

"Granger," Clearwater said to her, addressing her with a snarl. Hermione knew that insults were going to be fired at her, as that was the only reason the girls decided to acknowledge her existence.

"I've heard that you were spreading rumors that Tom asked you out. Are you so desperate that you're going to pretend? You are _so_ pathetic, its sad," The girl said, earning laughter from her friends. Hermione rolled her eyes, wondering how another rumor about her started.

"Oh really, where did you hear that?"

"Not even denying it then _Granger_," The girl said her name as if it was poison on her tongue.

Hermione decided that she couldn't put up with Clearwater's crap, and left the hall. Her stomach would have to survive, and Hermione made her way to the classroom. Work used to be so important to her, but now it was just a way to escape her life. While she read books, she could pretend to be another person. And when she studied, she could pretend that she was worth something.

She rested her back against the cold wall, tuning the world out of her mind. But lips on top of hers interpreted her thoughts, and she shoved the figure backwards.

She was about to scream at them, when she realized whose lips and attacked hers. Riddle's. His eyes were wide and hurt, looking so broken. He started taking steps away from her, looking at her with angry upset eyes.

"No Riddle, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you," she began, walking to close the gap between them. When she was close enough, she placed her hands either side of his face, like he always did. Her thumb rubbed circles against his cheek, as he buried his face into her touch.

She didn't know what it must look like to other people who watched them, but inside she hoped Clearwater would walk past. His lips brushed against hers quickly, and then leaned away, an emotionless expression already plastered on it. She was waiting for the day she would see a smile against his lips. A real smile.

They walked into the classroom side by side, sitting down beside each other. It was one of the few lessons where she shared a table with him, but usually they didn't talk. She reached inside her bag to pull out her books, and then she started scribbling down notes while the Professor talked. Taking a sneak peek at Riddle, she realized he wasn't even listening. He was probably planning.

In trying to distract him, she let her fingers wonder over to were his hand laid under the table. She let them flutter over his, tracing patterns.

His thoughts became clouded, and he lost his trail of thoughts. His eyes dropped to where their hands where, her hand looking tiny compared to his. Even when she stopped, the feel of her touch lingered, misting up his visions. His hand searched hers, and he slipped his fingers between the gaps of hers.

"Tonight, meet me outside on the grass, near the Quidditch pitch," Riddle whispered under his breath.

"What time?"

"Soon as its dark."

"Isn't that against the rules?" Hermione questioned smiling at him.

"Head boy remember? I can do as I please," he said. He was still waiting on her answer.

"I'll be their," she whispered. He hated how much he was affected just by her agreeing to meet him. She would have been forced to go anyway, but it was satisfying knowing she wanted to.

She was ruining things.

* * *

"This isn't nothing is it?" Tom asked Granger as they lay side by side on the Quidditch pitch. The air was warm, and the grass was damp underneath them.

"No, it isn't nothing," she replied, rolling on her side to face him. How could she just lay there, and be so beautiful.

"You'll wait for me wont you?...You'll wait until I care for you. Until I _can_ care for you,"

"Don't you care for me at all?"

The obvious answer to that question was yes, but it was harder than that. He was possessive, and wanted her for himself. He wanted her to love him, to hold him and care for him. But he didn't think he could care for her.

"Not in the correct way. Not in the loving way."

"I wont wait forever Riddle," she said, stroking the side of his cheek with the back of her hand.

He wanted to tell her she had too, that it wasn't an option. No-one else could have her, and she would only be his. She would have to wait for him. But he also knew that he couldn't make anyone love him.

"I know," he said, a tremble in his voice. She placed her hand into his, squeezing it tightly. They both looked up at the sky, staring at it in awe. Tom usually felt tiny looking up at the sky, but having Granger by his side made him feel superior.

Because the universe didn't get Granger, he was going to keep her for himself.


	22. Chapter 22

chapter 22

A loud knocking woke Hermione up, and she hurried to the door thinking it was an emergency. Surprisingly, Riddle's stood at the other end, a faint smirk plastered on his lips.

"What a pleasant sight Granger," he said, while Hermione flushed bright red, as she realized she was still in her pajamas. She also hadn't sorted her hair out, so she presumed that it was a complete ball of frizz. Judging by his expression, she had presumed correctly.

"I need to change," Hermione stuttered, beginning to shut the door. He managed to wedge his foot in before it was fully shut, and for a moment Hermione thought that he was going to walk in. She suddenly became very conciseness of how messy her room was, especially the clothes draped along the floor.

"I'll just wait by your door then. Don't take longer than 5 minutes," He said, removing his foot. She nodded in reply, and quickly shut the door behind her. She could easily get dressed in 5 minutes, she thought to herself.

When Hermione opened her door, she found Riddle with his eyes closed, resting against the opposite wall. He looked peaceful, maybe even happy. She wondered what he was thinking about, whether he was plotting his future, or maybe thinking about her.

She walked over, and slid down onto the floor beside him. He turned his head towards her, but kept his eyes shut. She wanted to ask him why he had come this early in the morning, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"What is it like to feel love?" His question came out of nowhere, and his eyes opened to stare at her. Hermione was shocked, and stared at him for a couple of minutes, not knowing what to say. She wondered if she had even heard correctly.

"You loved your fiancé, right?" He said, when she still looked at him blankly.

"Yes I did, very much," Hermione finally managed to reply, realizing that she had heard right.

_Loved_. He said it in the past tense.

"What did It feel like? How do you know when you feel it?"

She thought for a moment, trying to remember how she felt like around Ron. How she felt in her happy dreams filled with made up memories, but the way her heart-felt was the same.

"You know because when you see their face, your heart starts beating faster. They fill your mind, leaving no room for other thoughts. When your with them, you feel as though thousands of butterflies are flapping inside your stomach, about to fly out. You don't remember how you managed to survive before you met them, and you never want to be without them. They become your world."

There were a thousand more worlds she could say, but remembering upset her. Riddles thumb lifted to wipe away the traitor tears that had managed to escape her eyes, but it felt wrong as he was the cause of all this. She wanted Ron back so much it hurt, and she didn't mention the bad parts of being in love.

How it left you vulnerable, and you saw red behind your eyes when someone else showed interest. How you're hurt felt like it was being ripped when you were away from them, and how break ups felt like a gunshot. Because they were the parts that you knew inside, but chose to ignore.

"Did you feel all that?" past tense, again.

"I still feel it Riddle. That kind of love doesn't go away." He removed his thumb when she said it, looking annoyed at her words. She felt as if she owed it to Ron though, even if he couldn't still hear her.

"He's dead Granger..." The words hovered between them, which he shouldn't have said. He knew he shouldn't have said it. But he still had. Although he didn't mean them spitefully, they sill opened old wounds. Wounds that had been on their way to healing.

He let out a long sigh, showing his frustration, and got him, brushing the wrinkles away from his uniform. Taking hold of Hermione's out-stretched hand, he pulled her up, not letting go of her hand once she was standing. Maybe that was his way of saying sorry.

"I know that I can't make you change who you love, and that you love him still. But, will you try to care for me too?"

"We'll both try our hardest."

* * *

Tom guided Granger over to were his place was, pulling her down beside him. People that were already there looked surprised, and Tom narrowed his eyes at one boy was intently staring at Granger. She was his, and was not here for other people to stare at.

"It's nice sitting here, instead of having to listen to the girls," Granger spoke, halfway through breakfast. Their silence hadn't felt awkward, they just didn't have a lot to say to each other.

"Really?" Tom asked, acting like he showed interest. He didn't, but it was a way to hear her voice.

"Yes, the girls are kinda mean," she replied, dropping her voice quieter, making sure only he heard. His eyebrows knotted in confusion when he realized what she had actually just said, and he looked over to the group of girls. He made eye contact with a few, who blushed and looked down giggling.

"Mean?"

"It's nothing Riddle, pretend I didn't say anything," she said, noticing his temper was starting to creep up on him. She had told him because she didn't think he cared, and his reaction was starting to panic her.

"Granger..." his tone of voice was bitter and angry, and she couldn't tell if it was aimed at her or not.

"They just don't like me very much," She replied, looking down and avoiding eye contact. But she did place her fingertips on his hand, barely touching it whilst tracing patterns. When she touched him, she was the only thing he could think about.

"I don't care, its fine. I have you now," she spoke softly, hypnotizing his mind. At least she thought she was, whilst he making a mental note to have a 'friendly chat' to Clearwater about this later. He would be the only person that hurt Granger.

"I'm going to the library, want to come?" she asked, once she had finished her breakfast. Tom shook his head, although he was finished as well. He had some business he had to attend too. His eyes were the only ones that didn't follow her out of the room.

"So, you too are serious now?" Black asked Tom, once Granger had left.

"Not completely," Tom replied, not really knowing if they were serious or not. She had made it clear that she was already in love with someone else, although that person was dead. He was still trying to understand it. He had asked himself whether he would still think about Granger if she died, and his answer was yes. So, although he was dead, she must still have the memories of him. Memories can't be undone, but over time they can be forgotten. He didn't know how long he was prepared to wait though.

Clearwater leaving caught his eye, so he got up and left a couple of steps behind her. She turned around at the noise of his footsteps, and a big smile took over her lips when she saw it was him.

"Tom, hi," she said happily, shuffling closer to him.

"Hello," his tone was cold in reply.

"I've wanted to talk to you for ages, I've just never found you alone. Your always with...Granger."

Tom hated the way she said Granger's name, as if it was a deathly disease.

"Stay away from Granger," his voice sounded hard and bitter, and she flinched slightly.

"W-w-what?" she stuttered, beginning to step back. The look in his eyes were scaring her.

"If I see you upsetting her, you will pay for it," his threat suddenly made the air thicker, and she felt as if she was going to choke. What was that bitch saying about her, Amelia thought.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, feeling water dampen her eyes, but he had already left.


	23. Chapter 23

Sorry for the late update, I was on holiday with no internet. Hope you enjoy the chapter, although it's just fluff.

Chapter 23

Hermione's eyes looked up, and were greeted by Riddle's blue ones. He sat next to her, suddenly summoning a book into his hands.

"Hello," she muttered under her breath, trying to catch a peek of him without him seeing. She tried looking up again when there was no answer, being careful on not getting caught. There was no answer. Wondering whether he heard her or not, she opened her mouth to say it again.

"Read your book Granger," he interrupted, a slight smirk appearing on his lip. She quickly jerked her head back down, burying it beneath the pages of the book she was reading. Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment, and for a while, the only sound either of them made was the turning of a page.

"So, if you were going to come, why did you wait?"Hermione said, getting bored with the silence.

"Business."

"What business?" she replied, curiosity getting the best of her. When he didn't reply, she tried grabbing at his book to get his attention. Her mind flipped through possibilities that it could be, all her thoughts involving death eaters. He could have tortured someone, or even have killed them.

"Drop it Granger," he said, while swatting her hand away. His tone had gone hard and cold, and she knew that she was pushing his limits. But she desperately wanted to know, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was going to be.

"But its-"

"JUST DROP IT."

The silence that followed was uneasy, and each second seemed to last twice as long. She knew that she was to blame for his sudden foul mood, as she didn't seem able to stay calm.

"I sorted it out okay," he spoke, after what seemed like forever. His eyes pierced into hers, as her eyebrows knotted with confusion.

"Sorted what out?"

"Clearwater. She'll leave you alone now, it's sorted."

And that was when it hit her, a wave of guilt. The word "business" had immediately made her think of death eaters, and his big plans for the future. She had thought of the worst, so it came as a shock when she found out he in fact was doing something for her. She felt butterflies flutter inside her stomach, trapped inside her rib cage.

"Tom, I'm-I'm," the use of his name made him tense up, and her fingers brushed over his knuckles.

"Thank you," she whispered smiling up at him, while placing her hand on top of his. Although it wasn't a big deal, it still meant a lot. Because it showed that he might be starting to care. Even if it was only a small amount. He returned to his book, removing his hand from her light grip.

"Don't flatter yourself Granger."

* * *

The cold wind lashed against Tom's skin, causing him to clutch his robe tighter. Granger's hand holding his was the only warmth he felt, apart from the warm feeling in his heart. The grass tickled his ear, and he was beginning to shiver from the coldness of the ground.

"You're cold," he heard Granger say, squeezing his hand tighter.

"Well stated Granger."

"Why don't you cast a warming spell?"

"I like the cold," he replied, not knowing if it was really true. It was more that he was used to it. The orphanage had been cold, and he had grown used to the feeling of slowly going numb, and shivering uncontrollably.

"Your lips are turning blue," she said, propping herself up onto her elbows to look at him. His tongue darted out of his mouth, licking his lips while staring at her. Her cheeks had started to turn red, but her lips were still the same. Still perfect.

"So are yours." It wasn't as if he was going to tell her.

She bought her fingers up to her lips, feeling to see if they were. And then she kissed him.

Her lips were cold when they first touched Tom's, but his were too. He flinched slightly when her fingers rested on his neck, as they too felt like ice. Everywhere their skin collided Tom felt a tingly sensation. At first it felt freezing, but then it was burning. When Tom felt a shiver run through her, he wrapped as much of his robe around her as possible, trying to protect her from the cold air. And when she leaned away, she huddled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Like an animal trying to find warmth. He felt content, maybe even happy. Because she was holding him without him asking or making her. She held him because she wanted to hold him, and he held her back. And a thought fluttered in his mind, one which he dismissed because he didn't want it to be true.

He thought he might be starting to care for her.

"Can we go inside, I'm freezing," she whispered against his ear, her warm breath making a smoke cloud. He didn't want to leave, but the chatting of her teeth and the way she was clutching on to him told him he had to. It was getting late anyway.

"Okay," he replied, casting a warming spell around them. He could have done it ages ago, but he was worried that it might have stopped her from holding him.

As they walked back to their dorm rooms, Hogwarts was silent. The only sound that Tom could hear were the sound of their footsteps, and their heavy breathing. It was as if the school had fallen asleep. His fingers brushed against Granger's a couple of times, but she made no move on holding his hand. He wanted her too. It was one of those nights were Tom felt infinite, as if everything was going to be perfect. He had Granger by his side and his life ahead of him.

"Well this is me," Granger said, stopping by her door. It was a weird expression, he thought. Of course she was herself, instead she should have said 'this is my door', or something along the lines of that. She waited nervously, wondering whether he was going to say goodbye or not. He knew he should kiss her goodnight, but he decided that he had shown too much affection for today. He was out of the weird trance he fell in when she was next to him.

He left, mumbling a quick and meaningless goodbye. But as he walked to his own dorm room, he wished he hadn't. He wished he at least said goodbye properly, because he didn't want her to go off him. He needed her attention and affection, more than he felt comfortable admitting to himself.

And as he lay in bed that night, he thought about the way she looked up at the stars with him, and asked about the constellations. Her arm rising up to the sky, pointing at ones for him to name. He thought about the way she looked at him with disgust when he first mentioned business, and how that look on her face made his stomach do flips. But when she thanked him, she seemed to mean it, deep from her heart. And no one had ever meant it before. Then again, no one really had any reason to thank him.

He hated that he needed her love.

_"So is this what you do at night? Lay out here and look at the stars?"_

_Tom didn't reply. The way she said it made it seem stupid and pointless._

_"Not that there's anything wrong with it. I mean, it's very manly, in a cute way," she rambled on, not taking a single breath. _

_"Granger," Tom said, interrupting her on mid flow. His cheeks had flushed red at the mention of her implying that it wasn't manly, and he was thankful that it was too dark for her to see._

_"Yes, sorry, I-"_

_"Shut up," he said, but not in a harsh way. She immediately stopped talking, and he could feel her blush radiating of her. They lay in silence for a while, Tom watching his breath fog up in clouds. _

_"Do you know any constellations?"_


	24. Chapter 24

Not exactly fluffy, but I hope you like it.

Chapter 24

Amelia Clearwater waited by Black's door, become more and more impatient. She didn't understand what was taking so long, as he was already 15 minutes late. Just as she started to get up and leave, she heard footsteps coming closer.

"Black?" she called out, a nervous twitch shivering through her body.

"Shhhh, I'm here. Sorry I'm late," he panted.

"It's fine, I didn't wait for long," she said, which was the complete opposite to what she was thinking. But she had to remember her manners and be polite, as she was a woman. Instead she looked up at him through her lashes, batting them while smiling warmly.

"So, what is it that you wanted?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. He dragged his finger against the skin of her neck, while Amelia tried to stop herself from flinching away.

"It's about Riddle," she said, causing him to back away, while an annoyed groan escaped his lips.

"It always is," he muttered in response.

"Granger is ruining him Black," she moaned, twisting a piece of hair around her finger.

"Why do you _care_?" he asked, already knowing what she was about to say. He could see the answer in her eyes.

"I love him," she whispered, saying it as if it was a fact.

_How could she love him? She had no idea what he's like and what he's capable of,_ thought Black. But he kept his lips tightly sealed.

"Well he likes her," Black angrily said, ready to walk away and end the conversation.

"No he doesn't," Amelia gritted out, her fists clenching up.

"She makes him happy," he replied, trying to make it sound like a good thing. In fact, he was very angry and bitter that Riddle could find happiness, where as everyone else had to worry on not trying to get to close to people. Because Riddle would not hesitate in ripping them away from each other. It wasn't fair that the bad guy got the girl.

"Fine, If you're not going to help then I'll find someone else," she murmured angrily, turning on her heel to walk away. As she was halfway down the hall the sound of his voice stopped her.

"Wait," he called out, mentally kicking himself for what he was about to agree to. "I'll help. Whats the plan?"

Black decided that Riddle's short-lived unhappiness would be worth it.

* * *

"Why are we always at the library?" asked Hermione to Riddle, putting her book down on to the table.

"Because you're a bookworm," he replied, not even looking up from the book that he was reading.

"You're a bigger bookworm than me," she said, which caused a smirk to appear on his face. Hermione was waiting for the day a proper smile appeared on his face. A smile that came from the heart, and shone through the eyes.

"Read your book Granger," he spoke, flicking the page.

"I can't concentrate when you're here," she muttered, picking up her book. Hermione liked pretending that they were a proper couple, because it filled a tiny section of the massive hole in her heart. He was also becoming nicer to her, making her feel less lonely. Although she knew she shouldn't let him, he was becoming a remedy to the depression of her new life.

Finally he put his book down, leaning over the table whilst look at her.

"Well then, what do you propose we do?"

"Tell me about yourself." She regretted it as soon as she said it.

"Nothing to tell," he said, leaning back and picking up his book again. She hated when he shut down, his eyes seemed to suddenly look so far away. As if he was remembering things that he didn't want to remember. But Hermione knew his past wasn't pleasant, and if it was her past, she wouldn't want to talk about it either.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she said, nervously fidgeting.

"You didn't," he replied, but the cold emotionless tone was back.

"I'll see you soon," she told him, getting up to leave. The coldness radiated off him. In reply she received a grunt, and his eyes never left the page.

He slammed the book down in frustration a couple of minutes after she left.

* * *

Hermione was in her room when she heard a knocking on her door. She thought it would be Riddle, but instead was surprised to see Black standing on the other side.

"Hello," he said, a small smile placed on his lips.

"Um, hi. What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering whether you could help me with something actually. Would you mind come down to the library with me?" Hermione was shocked, as Black was one of the people who avoided her as best they could.

"Of course," she replied, stepping out of her room and followed him down the corridors.

"So, what do you need my help with?"

"Oh, just some Transfigure work," he quickly said, a nervous sweat breaking out over his body. Suddenly this wasn't seeming like such a good idea.

"We could have done it in my room," pointed out Hermione, stopping to turn around. They were still a lot closer to her room than the library. Plus, she really didn't want to bump in to Riddle with another person. She could get Black in to trouble.

"That would be unacceptable Granger, imagine if Riddle found out," he said, a quick excuse slipping of his tongue. At least it wasn't a lie.

"I guess you're right," she said, hoping the disappointment didn't seep into her voice. They walked in silence the rest of the way.

The first thing that Hermione saw when she stepped into the library was Riddle, but lucky he wasn't facing her. She thought about making a quick escape, but stopped.

She felt as if time had slowed down. Hands were placed on to his neck, and lips leaned in to meet his. His arms stayed limp beside him, not moving to push her away. She wondered if his lips were moving against hers, while she stayed fixed on the spot.

1 second. 2 seconds. 3 seconds. 4 seconds. 5 seconds.

Finally they separated, and Hermione felt as though she could breathe again. Only the air felt thick down her throat. She fled, not wanting to see his face, or see them together any more. Her memories flooded back to the night were she watched Ron kissing Lavender. Betrayed. Hurt. Sick.

He wasn't beginning to care. She was failing. And she also felt a little broken inside.


	25. Chapter 25

25

Tom stared at Clearwater with a confused gaze. The expression on her face was a nervous one, as she was worried about his reaction. She waited for him to say something, both of them staring at each other without saying a word.

"I...I...I miss you," she stuttered, breaking the silence.

He didn't reply, thinking about what just happened. His head was telling him that this was perfect. That he could use her to stop himself for falling for Granger. Because the girl in front of him meant nothing to him, and he was worried that Granger was starting to mean something to him. He was beginning to grow attached to her, which meant she could be used against him. She would make him vulnerable.

But his heart was being twisted into knots filled with guilt. His heart didn't want to have to kiss Clearwater, it wanted Granger. His heart needed to be loved, and it needed to be fixed.

So he did what he always did in these situations. He blocked out his heart and listened to his head.

He placed his lips back onto Clearwater's, and he felt her hands back on his neck. He didn't touch her back, but he moved his lips against hers. He couldn't stop thinking about Granger though. Clearwater's lips were moving too fast and rough, unlike Granger's delicate touch. He missed her fingers tracing patterns on the back of his neck, and instead felt fingers tugging at his hair roughly.

He pulled back, and looked at the girl in front of him.

"Tom, say something," she whispered, trying to touch his arm, but he flinched backwards. He thought of words to say, but had no idea what his mind was thinking. So he turned and walked away, letting his feet guide the way. He wondered whether he should go to Grangers room, but he couldn't. Because he feared that if he saw her, the amount of guilt he would feel would hurt him. He didn't understand why, as he hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't as if they were together, and their relationship was complicated.

He wondered whether Granger would care if she found out, and decided that she wouldn't. But he wanted her too.

"Sir," Black said, while walking past Tom. Tom hadn't even noticed, and Blacks voice bought him back to reality.

"Black, what are you doing here?" Tom noticed how Black looked very uncomfortable, as if something was bothering him.

"Nothing sir. I'm on my way to the Common room," he replied quickly, his eyes darting around the room.

"Well, we have a meeting tonight. Don't be late," Tom said, feeling slightly confused by Black's weird attitude. He didn't bother asking though, as he couldn't care less about Black's life.

* * *

Hermione woke with a dreadful headache, and she contemplated on just laying in her bed for the rest of the day. But she wasn't going to let a stupid boy ruin her mood. If someone had told her a couple of months ago that Riddle kissing another girl would upset her, she would have laughed in their face.

She dragged herself out of bed, and got dressed into her robes. As she walked down the corridor, she told herself to not even look at him. But as soon as she made her way to the table, she couldn't help but peak a look.

He looked as he always did, expressionless and uninterested. His eyes landed on her, as if he could sense her presence. Hermione quickly looked away, sitting in her seat by Clearwater and the other Slytherine girls. She wished she was further away from Riddle.

"I talked to Tom again yesterday," Clearwater said to a girl with very long blonde hair. They both wore smirks on their faces, as if it was some private joke between them. They were also both talking loudly, so that Hermione could hear them.

"Did you? What did you talk about?" The girl replied, trying to sound surprised. It was obvious to Hermione that this conversation was planned and practiced.

"Well, not much talking went on..."

The hurt Hermione felt from yesterday bubbled up into anger, causing her to see red. How could he, was all she could think. He had made her feel guilty for thinking the worst of him, but instead it was all thrown back into her face.

She snatched up the toast from her plate and made a quick exit. She could feel that today was going to be a long day.

After her lesson had passed, she found herself nose buried deep in a book. She didn't even hear the footsteps coming towards her, and the noise Riddle made as he sat down.

"Time travel?"

The words gave her a fright, causing her to jump a little in her seat. When she realised that it was _his_ voice, she slouched back down in her seat and carried on reading. She didn't really trust herself to talk.

Throughout the day, she had thought about how she was going to bring the topic up with Riddle. She decided against it, chosing to just stay cold with him, because she didn't want unnecessary dialog. She now knew that he it didn't care about her feeling still, and still needed time to fully except that. After she excepted it, she could go back to the way that things were between then, hopefully teaching him how to care. That was her plan anyway.

"Granger?" he said, after she ignored him.

"I'm reading Riddle," she replied, making sure she didn't look up at his face. It was unfair how someone so evil, could look so beautiful.

"Well stop reading and talk to me," he replied, prying her fingers away from the book. She flinched away from his touch, but ended up putting the book down. She couldn't concentrate on the book in his presence anyway. Her hand went up to her face, and pushed her palms into her eyes.

"_Granger_?" his voice sounded more worried, and she hated how it sounded concerned.

The word _Why_ was on the tip of her tongue, ready to ask him. But she couldn't.

"Riddle, I can't do this. I need to go," she whispered getting up, and walking quickly to her dorm.

"Can't do what?" but she was already hurrying away.

* * *

Tom knocked on her door, his head resting on the wood.

"Granger," he called out, in what sounded like a groan. He could hear her foot steps walking up to the door, but she made no move to open it.

"I don't understand? Why are you ignoring me? Granger stop it," words kept flying out of his mouth, his fist thumping against her door. He couldn't stand her being mad at him, probably because of the guilt he was already feeling.

The door opened enough so he could see her, but the gap was not wide enough to see anything else.

"How dare _I..._?" she whispered in an angry whisper. he couldn't even remember saying that to her.

"You kissed her Riddle. If you ever caught me kissing anyone apart from you, me and them would be killed in 2 seconds by you. But just because its you doing the cheating, everything is okay. Your allowed to do whatever you want, and cheat on however you want, just because your Tom _fucking_ Riddle."

She was breathing in heavy pants when she was finished her yelling, and her legs shook slightly beneath her.

"Why do you _care _if I kissed her?" he said quietly.

"Would you care if I kissed someone else?"

"Yes" was his immediate response, and he didn't even need to think about the reply.

"Why would you care?"

"Because your mine Granger."

"So your allowed to have me for yourself, but I can't want you?"

"I didn't think you would want me?"

"Riddle, will you ever let me go?" Hermione asked him, after a long silence.

He waited before he gave her the answer, although they both knew what the answer was.

"No."

She shut the door softly, keeping eye contact with him until it was no longer possible. He slid down onto the ground, with his back against the door.

"Granger," his voice had gone incredibly soft, but she could still hear him.

"My heart hurts."

The words seemed to break her own heart. and she couldn't stop the tears from overflowing out of her eyes.

"Hermione..." he whispered her name too softly for her to be able to hear, just before he left.


	26. Chapter 26

Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I want to give a giant thank you to PotterheadGwen, who has really helped me thinking up future plots. If anyone else has any ideas, I would love to hear them. Thank you :)

26

"Riddle, you're not listening," hissed Malfoy, tapping Tom's shoulder to get his attention.

Tom snapped out of his thoughts, glaring at Malfoy with his cold gaze.

"Riddle?" he asked, annoyance clearly present in his voice.

"Sorry sir," mumbled Malfoy, looking back down at his food bitterly.

An uneasy silence followed, all easy twitching uncomfortable, only Tom's eye-sight rested back on Granger. She was picking quietly at her food, while her hair covered her face from his view.

It had been 4 nights, and 5 days since they last spoke. He had tried talking to her by following her to the library, and sitting in a spot next to her. But it hadn't mattered how many times he had said Granger, or how many times he stared at her, she never showed him any attention.

He also found himself muttering her first name, and he loved the way it flowed off his tongue. But he couldn't bring himself to say it to her face.

Guilt also seemed to build up inside him, but he didn't understand why. He had never expected Granger to care, as they had never talked about their relationship. He was never going to belong to anyone, although she definitely belonged to him. He couldn't give her up. No matter what.

"Were going to have a meeting tonight," said Tom, standing up to leave. He took one last look at Granger, before turning around and quickly walking out.

* * *

Amelia turned as soon as she heard her name, knowing that it was _his _voice. Excitement pumped through her veins, as she smiled up at him. Maybe he had changed her mind, she thought.

"Hi Tom," she said, twisting a piece of hair around her finger.

"Change it back," he angrily said, a look of disgust plastered on his face.

"Change what back?" Amelia replied, her heart beating quickly against her chest, fear starting to register on her face.

"I'm not _asking_ you to change it back Clearwater, I'm _telling_ you to."

"Change what back?"

"Change her back."

"I don't understand?"

"You ruined things. I want them back to the way they used to be."

"I can't un-kiss you," Amelia replied, her voice raising. Tears seemed to be forming in her eyes, as his confused jumble of words were making sense to her. He never wanted her, he want Granger.

"I don't care what you do or how you do it, but make her know it was your fault. Your disgusting lips touched mine, it wasn't my fault. _It wasn't my fault," _he snarled, and she Amelia began to see the ugly side of Tom Riddle. The side she had no idea existed.

Riddle had no idea what he cared about the most. Whether it was for the guilt inside him to go away, or whether he just wanted Hermione's attention again.

"I remember you kissing me back," Amelia hissed back, the tears starting to flow down her cheeks.

"You remember wrong," he replied, turning and walking away. They both knew she remembered right, but he felt no guilt in lying to her. And she meant nothing to him.

Amelia had created this Tom Riddle in her head. A Tom Riddle that was perfect, and who cared about her feelings. She had created scenarios in her head about the two of them together, and her dreams were filled with his handsome face. She thought of it as a crush, but others would have called it an obsession.

It hurt knowing that he had no interest in her. It hurt knowing he was not perfect. It heart realising that the Tom she thought she knew, was actually fake. But she couldn't stop thinking she loved him.

* * *

She could feel as soon as Riddle entered the room, as the air suddenly seemed to turn very cold. She made a point of not looking up, or reacting to when he tried to speak to her. She knew that by now she should go back to normal with him to carry on her plan on changing him, as he seemed to have changed a lot less than she originally thought.

Only Hermione knew that it was going to be a lot harder pretending to care. The betrayal she felt would be able to show clearly on her face, as Ron would always tell her she wore her heart on her sleeve. But without following her plan and staying angry at him, she seemed to be slipping away from life. The only purpose she now had been to change him, as she accepted now that she was not going to be able to have a normal life. If she didn't have a purpose, she would start slipping away from reality.

For the first time in what seemed like weeks, she let herself take a peak. It was exactly how she remembered it, but that was no surprise to her. But when she really looked, all the ugliness from his heart seemed to appear on his face.

Hermione's mother had invented "inside ugliness" to teach Hermione to have good morals. When she was young, she was taught that it didn't matter how good-looking someone is on the outside. because if they have evil thoughts, that evilness will shine out, and make them ugly. Hermione believed in this strongly, and she also believed that goodness in people made them more beautiful.

Ron had never been amazingly good-looking to her. That was until one day she looked at him, and the goodness from his soul shone out, making him the most beautiful person she had ever seen. And she loved Ron from that day forth, because his heart was so kind.

Riddle had no goodness in his heart, and once you realised that the evilness was their, it was impossible to not notice it.

Hermione rested her book down, causing Riddle's eyes to dart up from his book. He didn't say anything, and instead waited to see if she was going to speak. Hermione knew that she couldn't take having nothing to concentrate on anymore, as it was driving her crazy.

"You really hurt me," she muttered, trying not to meet his eye-sight.

He nodded in silent agreement, knowing that it wasn't best to ask why. I sigh escaped her lips, also knowing that he had no idea what he had done wrong.

"Riddle, its hard on me knowing that I can't be with anyone else, but you're allowed to be with whoever you want. Especially as Clearwater will take any opportunity to run it in my face," she said, trying to make him understand.

"She kissed me Granger, why is this all my fault?" he hissed, darkness returning in his eyes. Because this sounded an awful lot like she was forgiving him, and Riddle realised he didn't want to be forgiven. Because he had done nothing wrong, therefore it should be him forgiving her.

"You let her," she replied calmly, and he had no counter argument. Because there was no point in lying to Hermione Granger.


	27. Chapter 27

chapter 27

"You said you made up now though," said Malfoy, doing prefect rounds with Tom.

"It's Granger, Malfoy. Shes so...complicated," replied Tom, wanting things to just go back to the way they used to be.

He missed her.

"Shes certainly something."

"Unfortunately."

"You like her for it though. You get a twinkle in your eye when she challenges you, and your also not so grumpy once being in her presence. She brings out the best in you Riddle," Malfoy's words made Tom pause, trying to understand what Malfoy was trying to get at.

"Not long before you were telling me to let her go."

"You're right, I was."

"It's not like you to admit you're wrong."

"I'm not admitting I'm wrong Riddle. I'm saying she's good for you, but you're not good for her."

Tom knew that Malfoy's words were true, but they didn't change anything. He was going to have her either way.

"When do you think she wont care anymore?" he asked, not knowing if she would ever forgive him. If he understood what he had done, then he would be able to make a judgment on how long she would take.

"I don't know Riddle. As you said, she's complicated. Do you even know why she's mad?"

"I know what I did, I just don't understand why she cares," Tom replied, with an uncertainty in his voice. He hated not knowing everything.

"What did you do?"

"I kissed Clearwater."

"You shouldn't have," Malfoy said quietly, shaking his head at Tom.

"Why?"

"You can't just kiss someone else Riddle."

"Why not?"

"Would you care if you caught Granger kissing someone else?"

"Don't ask stupid questions Malfoy, you know I would."

"Why would you care?"

"Because she's mine."

The words held dark possessives. Malfoy was expecting him to say he cared for her, but it seemed as though Tom hadn't realised that yet. He would probably still deny it.

"Well she cares for you Riddle, and I guess she wants you to be hers too. Seeing or finding out that you kissed another girl would make her feel betrayed and hurt, as she probably thought you cared for her too," Malfoy tried to explain, not knowing himself though if it was true. Granger seemed to see through his bullshit, knowing the real him. If she was starting to care for Tom, then that would mean she liked the real him. And that would be impossible.

Tom digested the information that Malfoy had given him, trying to understand the concept. The idea of Hermione_ actually _caring for him and never crossed his mind. Sure, she had shown his attention in a different way than other people had, and she acted as though she cared. But he never thought that her feelings may be intentional. She knew things about him that no-one else did, and he was going to find out how. So how could she actually care about him if she knew what he was actually like?

Tom was starting to doubt whether she did know what he was actually like, and maybe she was one of the other lovesick girls. But would her love actually be so bad?

"I'm not apologising," Tom said finally, a slight frown appearing on his mind. He didn't even know why the thought of saying sorry had appeared in his mind. Tom said sorry to no-one.

"Obviously," replied Malfoy. Malfoy's never apologised themselves.

* * *

A heavy knocking woke Hermione up, causing her to sleepily open the door. She didn't know who she expected, but she was shocked when she saw it was Riddle. The corridor was still dark, and she guessed that it was around 11 at night.

"Riddle?"

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry, or beg for your forgiveness. But I understand what I did now," he said, his eyes staring intensely into her.

Hermione managed to nod her head, trying to find words to say.

"I want to go back to how we used to be, although I have no idea what it was. I just know I miss it."

His words left him so vulnerable, and he held his breath while waiting for her reply.

"I'll see you tomorrow Riddle," she mumbled softly, rising on her tip-toes to place a gentle kiss against his cheek. It was her way of saying that it was fine.

She waited until he was out of sight, and then closed the door. Her dreams began before her head hit the pillow.

_"They know about me Hermione, I can feel it," Ron whispered in her ear, his eyes nervously twitching around the muggle library._

_"Know what Ron," sighed Hermione, picking up a book and adding it to her collection._

_"You know...how I'm...a wizard," he stressed out the last part, tugging at her arm to get her attention._

_"Ron, they don't know magic even exists. And even if they did, why would they suspect you?"_

_"Bookworm," he muttered, realising that Hermione was right. She always was. He picked up a book of the shelf, put placed it back down before even looking at it. He walked up to her, plucking the book she had picked up out of her hand. _

_Her eyes closed and she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. Only, they didn't feel like Ron's. And when she opened her eyes, the eyes looking back weren't Rons either._

_But she didn't push away, and instead her eyes fluttered shut again. The lips against her were defiantly weren't Ron's, and she kissed then anyway. She kissed them harder than she had kissed them before. _

_"Traitor..." _

_Her eyes snapped open._

_Ron's eyes stared back._

_She was so confused._

_He opened his lips._

_"You fucking traitor."_

* * *

"Can I have your attention for 2 minutes please," The headteacher spoke, silencing the room.

"I would like to welcome a new student into Hogwarts."

Hermione stared at the boy who she presumed was the new student. He stood straight and wore a blank expression. The boy had jet black hair that contrasted against his pale skin. She couldn't tell any of his other features, as he was too far away.

"He has been sorted into the Slytherine house this morning, and I would like you all to give a warm welcome to Draco Adler."

While the whole of the Slytherine table erupted into cheering and clapping, Hermione's breathing stopped.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Draco stood tall, while trying hard not to shake. His heart was beating quickly, and he could almost feel it against his ribs.

This was his chance to prove he was not a coward.

He tried to not openly stare at Tom Riddle, and instead kept his eyes forward. The boy who would grow up to be a monster, and the boy who his father grew to be so loyal to.

Around a week ago he had gone to Dumbledore with his plan, knowing that this was going to be his purpose. He wouldn't let his purpose be to kill Dumbledore any longer, because he knew when the time came, he wouldn't be able to.

At first Dumbledore hadn't agreed, but after a week of insisting and planning, he found himself on the steps of the entrance.

His hair had been changed jet black, as Abraxas Malfoy would be attending Hogwarts too. They would look too alike if Draco hadn't changed, which would have led to suspicion. His new black hair made his skin look paler, and his eyes a brighter blue. It wasn't a bad change, but he knew he would miss his old look.

Changing his name had been the hardest decision, as he needed a Pureblood name. The problem was that all Pureblood names were recognised, and he couldn't just claim to be part of some random family. He defiantly couldn't claim to be a Malfoy, as his farther hadn't even been born yet.

Dumbledore had finally chosen the name Adler, as it was a large enough family for no-one to check into it. He had said that they wouldn't even know if he was or wasn't part of the family.

So there he was, standing in front of the school, being cheered by the Slytherines into the house. His feet managed to carry him over to were the death eaters were sitting, and he sat a couple of seats away from Voldermort.

"Abraxas Malfoy, welcome to Slytherine," said his great-grandad, extending his hand. The Malfoy smirk had obviously been passed down, and Draco exchanged greetings with the people around him. Everyone apart from Tom Riddle. He was glad really. He didn't think he could smile and greet Voldermort as if he was a normal person.

* * *

Hermione was waiting at the edge of her seat for Draco to get up and leave, so she could follow him. When he finally did get up to leave she hurried behind him as soon as he left to Great Hall. He had two girls next to him, but what else would she expect from Draco Malfoy.

At first when she had heard his name, she thought that she had made it up. And then the thought that it might be anybody else with the name Draco came to her mind. But as he walked over, she could tell it was him. The same jaw line, and the same straight nose. The same eyes, and the same strong arms that had held her. It was defiantly Draco Malfoy.

"Draco," she called when she was close enough for him to hear without her having to shout. His neck turned sharply, while the two girls stared at Hermione with a death glare. One of them, to Hermione's anger, was Clearwater.

"Granger," she growled, her hand resting on Draco's arm. Only Draco stayed silent, his eyes wide and shocked.

"Sorry I'm just..." Hermione started walking forward, having no idea what to do. She should have waited until he was alone, as she couldn't exactly explain to these girls that she already knew him.

"You look like a friend I once had, so I just wanted to say hi," Hermione said smiling, knowing that she should leave and find him later. Only she couldn't, because Draco Malfoy was actually standing in front of her and she needed to know how.

"Freak," muttered the other girl beside Draco, and Clearwater let a laugh escape her lips.

"Right, well I don't suppose you can show me where my room is?" Draco said finally, managing to form a sentence.

"Sorry ladies, I'll talk to you later," he said, flashing a smile while dismissing them. Clearwater was staring at Hermione with pure hate, but she still somehow managed to smile sweetly at Draco before yanking her friend away.

Draco and Hermione both waited until Clearwater and her friend were out of sight, until they turned to face each other.

"I'm so confused, I really don't understand," Draco finally spoke, shaking his head while staring at her.

"I don't understand either."

"I saw you 3 weeks ago," he said, his fingers trailing over her arm to check she was real, and not just a hallucination.

"That was months ago," she replied, capturing his fingers in her hand. She squeezed them as tightly as possible.

"I time travelled here, but I got the date a little wrong I think. I was meant travel further, all the way to the start of the year."

"That was when I came here."

"So you time travelled too?"

"Yes, Dumbledore helped,"

"Don't you see Hermione, this is perfect. We can do it together now. I thought I was going to be alone, but now your here and It's perfect. It really is." Draco said, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist, and lifting her off the ground while spinning.

Laughter fell from her lips as he put her back down.

"Do what together?"

"Kill Tom Riddle. I have plans, I've learned some curses and-"

"Wait," She interupted. Hermione's eyes were wide and afraid as she stepped back.

"What?"

"We can't _kill_ him," she hissed, her voice dropping to a whisper. The smile on Draco's lips vanished, and instead was replaced with a frown.

"Granger, this is Voldermort we are talking about," he said, his voice dripping with hatred.

"I know it's just," she didn't know how to reply, as it seemed logical to just kill him. But she didn't think she could. He wasn't like she had expected. He actually seemed...human.

Draco was about to say something, when they both heard voices of other students.

"We'll continue this conversation later Hermione, lets not get into an argument now," he said, letting out a sigh. He threaded his fingers in between hers, and she squeezed them back.

"I'm glad your here Draco," she said softly, looking up at his face. He looked different somehow, more determined and stronger. He looked down at her hopeful eyes and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm glad your here too Hermione," he said, just as softly.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Well this is my room. Your room is just over there,to the right," Hermione said to Draco, pointing her finger towards his room.

"Thank you, can I come in?" Draco replied, placing his two hands deep into his pockets.

"Um, sure," Hermione replied, stepping into her room and leaving it open for Draco to walk in. Her room was relatively tidy, apart from a couple of her clothes which were scattered across the floor.

"Tell me, how are you doing? are you coping?" Draco asked, perching himself on the edge of her bed, while Hermione collected her clothes off the floor.

"Not really. The first few months were like hell, and I guess people just ignore me now," Hermione replied, not knowing whether she should bring up Riddle. There was no one to interrupt if they had an argument, and she really didn't want to fall out with Draco. She wanted to soak up his attention, until it would get harder between them.

And Riddle was bound to become more possessive around her when he saw Draco talking to her.

"Really? Your not the type for boys to ignore," he replied, causing a deep flush to creep up Hermione's necks.

"Thank you," she mumbled, busying herself with trying to tidy her room.

"No problem. Guess it will just be me and you then."

Hermione knew that this was when she should tell him that Riddle and her had a weird relationship. One which implied making out under the stars, but neither of them really caring about each other. And holding hands, but neither of them talking.

"I guess so," she replied, managing a small smile. Delaying the subject wouldn't help, but she didn't know how to phrase it in a way that didn't make him think little of her.

* * *

Once Tom finished walking down the corridors making sure no-one was up and about, he found himself in front of Granger's door. He hadn't spoken to her for the day, as she seemed to have just disappeared. He missed her.

He knocked, but was confused when he saw the new student answer instead of her. He thought he must have come to the wrong room.

When the boy in front of him saw him, he panicked. His eyes grew wide and his breathing sped up.

"Sorry I...this is Granger's room," Tom spoke, realising that he was in the right room, as he saw Granger step out of the bathroom.

"Riddle," she said in a panicked voice when she noticed him. Tom eyed her up and down, his cold gaze sending a shiver down her spine.

"You should be in your own room," Tom said finally, his eyes going back to the new student. The boy still looked shocked, but also terrified. He nodded and quickly walked away leaving him and Granger alone.

He could of followed the boy, and cursed him untill he got the message that Granger was his. But instead he just stared at her, his face showing no expression. Inside, where she couldn't see, he felt betrayed and hurt.

"Suddenly friendly with the new student I see," Tom finally sneered.

"He reminds me of a friend," she spoke quietly, keeping her head down.

"A friend," he repeated, elongating the words.

"Believe it or not Riddle, before you ruined my life I had friends," she hissed, a tear managing to escape her eye. She didn't want to feel guilty about just talking to another boy. It was unfair on her.

Tom sighed, his hands balling up into fists. He could just let her be friends with who ever she please, but he was afraid that he would lose her. Although the saying went _If you love something set it free_, Tom didn't think she would come back to him. Why would she?

"I'm not sharing Granger," he said, shaking his head.

"Sharing? I am not an object that you can keep to yourself, and you are acting like a child. He is a friend Riddle. Unlike you, I don't feel the need to kiss every person I come into contact with,"

A frustrated sigh left his lips, and he found himself wishing that she could just want him.

"I don't want to argue Granger, but it seems we can do nothing else."

"I'm tired."

"Please be reasonable. I just want to go back to how we were. That's when everything is...good."

"Let me have friends Riddle. Please, let me be happy too." Her bottom lip was quivering, and tears were gathering in her eyes.

"Don't I make you happy?"

The tears began to slip down her cheeks, as she stepped forward to wrap her tiny arms around his neck. Tom thought it was cute how she stood on her tip toes, and how she pressed her head into the crook of his neck. Then again, he didn't find her tears cute. He normally found tears pathetic and weak, but her tears made him sad.

"You do make me happy Tom," she whispered against his ear, her breath tickling his skin.

Her words sent a tingling feeling down his body. However, he felt as though there was a 'but' that was being left unsaid.

* * *

_"Is everything okay Mione?" Ron asked, squeezing her hand._

_"Yes...No...I don't know."_

_Ron stopped walking, turning to face her. His fingers lifted to rest against her cheeks, but she flinched at the contact. Tears were welling up in her eyes and leaking out before she could wipe them away._

_"Hermione, you're scaring me," Ron said, dropping his hand to his side. _

_"I know, I'm sorry. I don't understand," she said, frantically wiping away tears. They to fall from the sky and soak into her skin._

_"Was it something I said," he said, shifting around uncomfortably. _

_"No, I don't know what it was. I'm sorry, I just feel sad. I miss you."_

_"You miss me? I'm right here."_

_"No you're not," she sobbed, her eyes clenched tightly shut._

_When she opened them he was gone._

* * *

When Hermione woke, she felt a unsettling sickness in the pit of her stomach. Draco would find out today, and she was terrified of what he was going to say.

The knocking on her door was expected, and she sighed while she pulled it open.

A smug grin was resting on his face, as he leaned against the door frame.

"Riddle," she greeted him.

"Lets go Granger,"

And she followed him, because it would have been considered rude to tell him to bugger off.

There fingers brushed against each other a couple of times, but he only properly clasped his fingers around hers when they were about to enter the hall.


	30. Chapter 30

30

Draco found himself sitting next to a very hot girl, who kept flicking her back and twisting it around her finger. It had been the same girl who had offered him to show him to his room. He knew he would have easily convinced her to come into his bedroom, and not just to talk.

On his right sat Abraxas Malfoy, and every time Draco looked at him, he saw his old self staring back. Everytime he passed his reflection he expected to see his white blonde hair, but never did. He found his new black-haired self very strange.

"So Adler, what made you change school so late?" Abraxas asked him, a slight smirk hanging off his lips.

"Fancied a change," he replied, stuffing more eggs into his mouth.

His eyes kept shifting around the room, as he was trying to spot Granger. Was she always so late?

"Change from what?"

A small chuckle slipped past his lips as he said "Bullshiters."

The chuckle abruptly stopped when he saw 2 students edging closer.

The student fingers were entwined, and the boy wore a smug expression whilst staring directly at him.

Draco's mouth gaped open, and he found himself gasping for air. She couldn't meet his eyes, and she seemed to look everywhere but him. She obviously knew serious shit was going to go down. He would make sure of that.

He didn't hear the giggle that left Clearwater's lip, or how Abraxas muttered that there was bullshiters in every school. He could only see their fingers wrapped tightly around each other.

"Draco are you listening?"

"Sorry what?" he said, snapping out of the shock.

"She's off-limits," Abraxas commented. His voice had dropped a couple of octaves lower, and sounded threatening.

"Just because you and Riddle are obsessed with the bitch doesn't mean that everyone wants to shag her," Clearwater hissed, having heard what Malfoy just said.

"Wash the your mouth out Clearwater. Young woman like yourself shouldn't speak like that," he mocked, but Draco could clearly see the anger behind his eyes. His great granddad liked Granger, he thought? _Voldermort_ liked Granger?

"Are they...together?" he whispered, desperately hoping that it was all a mistake. Granger would never go for a guy like him.

"She's off-limits," was the reply he got, with didn't answer his question in the slightest.

* * *

"You seemed to have moved on quickly," came a voice from behind Hermione, causing her to jump in fright. She had thought she was alone.

"Gosh Draco, you scared the life out of me," Hermione muttered, placing a hand over her racing heart.

"Oh sorry_, I_ scared you? But your boyfriend, the _mass murderer_, doesn't seem to scare you? I thought that would be _slightly_ more frightening. Or have you forgotten who he is?" Draco snarled, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Please don't do this to me," she said, her voice sounding small and vulnerable.

"Don't do what? He is your boyfriend isn't he? Wow Granger. I didn't know you could be such a...whore."

Tears fell from her eyes, and she felt pathetic. She stood there, while the insults soaked into her body, and cut into her skin. The words didn't stop flowing out of his mouth, telling her how she was betraying everyone she loved. It wasn't fair, she thought. She was doing this _for_ them, and he knew nothing.

"Oh shut up Malfoy," she yelled, interrupting his rant.

He blinked at her, snapping his lips shut.

"What else was I meant to do? I can't kill him. Not only would that make me stoop to his level, but I also wouldn't be able to. I'm not strong enough, and neither are you. So don't you dare tell me that I'm a whore, and Ron would be ashamed of me. Because I am doing this for his bloody dead self," she yelled, wiping tears away from her eyes.

"You think Weasley would like to find out that your sucking faces with _Voldermort_? Because that's the biggest bullshit that's ever flowed out of that _mudblood_ mouth of yours."

_Mudblood._

He had called her a mudblood.

Even he knew that he had taken it too far.

He didn't take it back though, as Malfoys never apologised.

"It doesn't matter what you think. At least I'm in there, and am doing something to change him. If you even manage to kill him, which is very unlikely, someone else will kill you," Hermione said, her tone cold and emotionless.

"I will kill him."

"You underestimate him Malfoy. Everyone has, and everyone does."

Hermione turned to leave, but stopped just before she almost reached the door.

"I'm still glad you came here Draco," she muttered softly.

"I'm glad your here too," he said, and he really sounded genuine.

* * *

Tom wasn't going to let Granger slips between his fingers, and instead would hold her tightly beside him. Having her beside him made him happier, an emotion that was new to him.

She was cuddled up next to him, and he could feel her soft breathing against the skin of his neck.

He had found her outside his door, a sad smile on her lips. She hadn't said anything, and just walked in collapsing on his sofa, tucking herself into a tight ball.

Tom had stared at her for a few minutes, not knowing what to do. He chose to sit beside her, and wrapped his arm around her. She immediately buried herself into his warmth, clutching on to him tightly. Tom had been shocked, not really understanding what was going on. But he didn't want to say anything, as the wrong words may have tumbled out of his mouth. Instead he just held her until her breathing slowed down, and her tight grip relaxed.

But now it was getting late, and Tom didn't know what to do with her. Was he supposed to just let her sleep on his lap, or should he wake her up? He started to nervously twitch, as he head sagged down from his shoulder, and on to her lap. He was getting tired, and he couldn't sleep in this sitting up position.

He slowly placed his hands under her head, and slowly lifted her up off his lap. He was trying to be very careful, as he didn't want to wake her up. He placed her down on the couch, with a pillow under her head.

Just as he was about to get up and go to his own bed, Hermione turned, a noise escaping her lips. Tom stayed very still, trying to make his breathing become quieter. Deciding it would be too risky to get up off the couch, he carefully lay down beside her, and fell asleep.


	31. Chapter 31

Just want to say thank you to everyone who leaves reviews. They mean a lot to me :) Hope you enjoy the chapter.

31

_"Hey Hermione," a voice called from ahead, and Hermione ran forwards._

_As she ran closer she could make out the ginger hair, until finally Ron was in front of her. She flung herself into his arms, and held on tightly._

_"Hermione, what are you doing?" he asked, a slight chuckle in his voice._

_"I missed you," she breathed out, while taking a step back._

_He was looking at her with a hint of amusement._

_"You missed me?" he repeated her words back to her, only phrasing them like a question._

_"I always miss you."_

_He laughed then, but his laughter wasn't warm. It was cold and bitter._

_"Not always..." he whispered, leaning in next to her ear. The air suddenly felt thicker, and it became harder to breathe. It felt as if the air had turned into water._

_"Don't do this to me now," she replied, pressing her palms into her eyes. Her heart was slamming against her chest, and Hermione felt as though she was breaking._

_"Do you remember me Hermione? Can you really remember me?"_

_She thought she could. _

_She could imagine his crazy ginger head, and how it looked in the morning. But she couldn't remember what it felt like._

_She could also remember his lips, and how they looked when he spoke the words 'I love you.' But she couldn't remember what they felt like._

_"You're moving on," he said, not sounding hurt or affected. It just sounded like a fact._

_"No I'm not. I could never-" she shook her head viciously from side to side, gripping on tightly to his fingers. _

Before she could finish her sentence, Hermione found her eyes fluttering open. She would have closed them again in a desperate attempt to carry on the dream, but something stopped her. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, and she felt a weight pressed against her stomach. She was defiantly not alone in her bed, if it even was her own bed. She blinked, while rubbing her fingers across her eyes.

When she could see properly again, she started looking around for any clue about where she was. Her mind flicked through her yesterday actions. She had an argument with Draco, then went to mope in the library. After that she had gone to her lessons, then back to the library. Once her eyes had grown tired of reading, she had gone back to her room. Then she remembered that she hadn't gone to her room, but instead had gone to Riddle's room. And she couldn't remember leaving...

Her eyes looked down, and she noticed that it was in fact Riddles arm that was slung over her. The reality of the situation hit her, and she realised that she had fallen asleep with Tom Riddle. She swallowed beginning to panick. No, she thought. She still had all her clothes on, so nothing could have happened. The thought still stayed in the back of her mind though.

She began to wriggling out of his arms, but his grip became tighter around her. Hermione didn't want him to wake with her in his arms, as he probably would find some way to put the blame on her. He didn't seem like the type to like cuddling.

But his arms weren't budging, and they both needed to eat breakfast.

"Riddle," she hissed, moving as much as possible in his arms, trying to get him to wake up. When he didn't stir she said his name again, but louder.

"Granger?" His voice came out sleepy, but his grip on her loosened enough for her to slide out. Hermione tried gliding out elegantly, but instead managed to fall off the couch head first.

"Ouch," she muttered angrily, rubbing the side of her head with her hand, while making no move to get off the floor.

Riddle leaned over the couch, staring at her with a confused but amused expression. He probably still hadn't worked out why he had woken up beside her.

Suddenly he burst into laughter, and Hermione knew this was one of the moments were she was being laughed at and not with. The sound of his laughter was pleasant though, and she wished she heard it more often.

"Hilarius," she muttered sarcastically, lifting herself with her elbows.

"It really was," he said, when he finally managed to control himself. He then moved himself into a sitting position, and Hermione managed to sit beside him without falling again.

"You fell asleep last night, and I didn't want to wake you," he explained, running his hand through his messy hair.

"I figured," she replied, fiddeling with her fingers.

"You don't mind do you?"

"Nope," she said too quickly, nervously biting at her lips. She hadn't minded, but she was confused about why she didn't mind. It had felt...almost good waking up in his arms, instead of on her own. But not knowing where she was and why she was there had scared her.

"We didn't do anything, right?" Hermione asked, not being to resist.

"No," he replied, the conversation becoming blander and more boring as it went on.

"Right," Hermione said, trying to fill up the silence.

"I wouldn't have minded though," Riddle said finally, a smirk playing at his lips.

Hermione's first turned deep red, then burst out into laughter. She had no idea what she was laughing at, as his comment hadn't exactly been funny. But it seemed to break the awkward tension between them, and he had begun laughing too. With her, not at her.

"We need to go," Hermione said, once the laughter between them had died down. Riddle nodded, getting up and putting on his robes. Hermione did the same, finding her robe had fallen off the couch they had slept on.

Before Hermione reached the door, Riddle had spun her around and placed his lips on top of hers. She felt her back pressing slightly painfully against the door frame, but she choose to ignore it as her arms wrapped around his neck. His lips were soft and warm, and Hermine felt herself melting into his touch.

His lips travelled down, resting against her neck, while placing soft pecks against the sensitive skin. Hermione's legs were starting to shake, and she began feeling weak at the knees.

"We really need to go," she whispered, making no attempt in stopping him. But she felt as though she needed to escape, or her legs would just buckle and she would end up on the floor again.

"You're right," he replied, leaning away.

"Are you happy?" he asked her, looking down into her eyes. Hermione felt as if it was an odd question to ask, and nodded with a confused expression on her face.

"Yes, are you?"

"Yes," he replied, nodding while he said it. And she believed him.


	32. Chapter 32

32

Tom had no idea what to do with Granger. When they were together, she seemed as though she really cared about him. But when he wasn't around, she seemed to roam free as if she didn't belong to him.

He knew he wasn't meant to think of her as "his property", but what else was he meant to do. He thought that if let her go, she would run as fast as she could. She didn't rely on him, which he had tried to make her do since he met her. He had learned by now that she never was going to.

He relied on her though.

He couldn't imagine life without Hermione Granger. His plans had been edited, with her beside him. She was there in all his memories, that know-it-all expression plastered on his face. She was in his past, sitting beside him on his too-small-to-fit-in bed, telling him stories off the top of her head. It was becoming an obsession, clouding up his senses.

And so he couldn't lose his Granger. He wasn't going to risk it by letting her go. That was how he found himself hunting down the new boy, who had not yet learned that she was off-limits.

"You shouldn't walk the around the corridors at night, you never know what might be lurking in the shadows."

The new boy stopped, his eyes darting nervously around the corridor. He was a deer caught in headlights, knowing that it wasn't going to end well. It's ironic how when you die, your meant to head for the bright light. But in that split second, the bright light is what kills you.

"Step out where I can see you," the boy spoke, his fingers slowly wrapping themselves firmly around his wand. Tom took 2 steps out of the shadows, facing the boy in front of him. His eyes had a crazy sparkle in them, with a crooked smirk adjusted on his lips.

"The names Tom Riddle, however, I think we've met before," Tom said, flashing his charming smile while extending his hand. Under the moonlight that seeped through the windows, his smile didn't look charming at all.

His hand was left there, as the boys clasped his wand in both hands, pointing it at Tom.

Tom's laughter echoed along the halls, as he bought his hands up to a mocking surrender.

"Oh ple..plea..please don't h..he..hex m...me," Tom stuttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. The boy didn't say anything in return, but instead clutched the wand tighter with both hands.

"Go on, do it. I dare you," he challenged, spinning his wand between his fingers. He didn't believe for a moment that the boy in front on him would do it.

"I'm not here to kill you Riddle. Not yet anyway. Whats the deal with you and Granger?"

"She's mine."

"She doesn't seem like the type to allow being owned."

"She's happy with me, she said so herself."

"She doesn't look happy, and I don't think you make her happy at all. Her eyes are sad, have you not noticed? You're strangling her, killing her for your own satisfaction. You're sick."

"Crucio."

* * *

Hermione watched Draco has he left the classroom, with a dead look in his eyes. She wanted to catch him up, but she also knew that Riddle had both his eyes on her. So she watched Draco until she couldn't see him any longer, then turned back around and gave Riddle a small smile.

Her hands sweeped her books into her bag, while Riddle made his way over to her desk. He placed her bag onto his shoulder and they made their way out the classroom. The silence between them wasn't comfortable, and the tension was thick. Nothing bad had happened between yesterday morning and now, but Riddle seemed slightly off.

"Riddle, is everything okay?" Hermione asked, glancing nervously at him.

"Yes, why wouldn't there be?" he replied, his voice holding no emotion.

"Have I done something?"

"No."

"Okay." Hermione pulled at the edge of her robes, winding the fabric around her finger.

"Well Slughorn told me that another even was being held soon," she said slowly, having been itching to ask him about it since yesterday afternoon.

"I'm aware." Riddle's blunt answers were getting on her nerves, and she yanked at his robe to get his attention.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, her voice angry and hurt. He stopped to look at her, and annoyed expression on his face.

"What are you on about Granger?" he sounded tried more than anything, as though he was tired of her.

"What has gotten into you? I thought we were good, and we were just going to return to the way things were before? I thought that we were happy with our messed up situation, that you have gotten me into? You've ruined my relationship with just about everybody else, she are you going to ruin me and you aswell? Are you tired of me? Are you bored?" she fired questions at him, shoving him away from her with her hands.

"Are you always going to bring that up Granger? Yes, I kissed her. I made a fucking mistake," he roughly pulled at his hair,"I don't think I can do this now."

"Do what? Argue? We always argue, and I'm sick of it."Hermione bought her hands up again, but he caught them between his own bigger hands. He clutched onto them tightly, a fraction away from it bein painful.

"We always argue Granger, and we probably are always going to. And maybe it's because no-one else is going to yell at me, but just...don't leave."

"Make it up to me then," Hermione challenged, a small smile playing on her lips. He had asked her not to leave, which gave her a warm feeling inside.

"How?" he asked, his fingers brushing against her cheek, and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You could take me to Slughorn's event thing," she asked nervously.

He laughed, turning to start walking to the Slytherine Common room again.

"Don't be stupid Granger, we obviously are going together."

"Obviously?"

"Well, isn't that what boyfriends do? Take their girlfriends to dances and dates?"


	33. Chapter 33

This is a bit of a late update, so sorry if you were waiting. Thank you to everyone who leaves reviews :)

33

"G-g-girlfriend?" Hermione stuttered, her cheeks flushing bright red.

"Well yes," Riddle replied, shoving his hands in his pocket.

Hermione went very quiet, her eyes shifting to the floor.

"I thought that was what you wanted Granger? After the whole Clearwater thing I thought you wanted us to be faithful to each other."

"Faithful?"

"Wasn't that why you were so angry?"

"I guess," Hermione said, confused.

Her mind was beginning to fog up, and her legs started trembling.

"Then whats the problem?"

"Nothing. It's just that I-"

"Lets keep it at nothing," he interrupted , his voice hard and cold.

Hermione managed to nod, while breathing became more difficult.

"I'll pick you up at 6, so make sure you're ready. And make sure you're also presentable," he said, once they reached the Slytherine Common room.

"Right."

"Okay good."

"Good."

Her voice had dropped to a whisper, as his fingers suddenly brushing against her jaw. His touch was as soft as always, but it didn't feel the slightest bit nice. And then Hermione saw why.

Riddle's eyes were locked onto Draco's, with a smirk on his lips. Hermione realized that he was only marking his territory, and this was his sick way of showing that she was his. She wanted nothing more than to yank her face out of his touch, but instead she bought her eyes to Draco.

His icy cold eyes looked back, with the corners of his mouth dragged down. Her eyes didn't plead for help, or rub it in his face that she was betraying everyone. Instead, her eyes were showing him how much she was putting up with. That she was letting this cruel bastard touch her just to change him. To save everyone she ever love. And maybe even save him.

Fingertips were dragged against her lips, and her face was being turned with his hand. She quickly snapped her eyes shut, as she didn't want to have to look into his. She didn't want to know the look in his eyes before he kissed her, as she didn't want to forget what they normally looked liked.

They normally looked beautiful; ocean deep and sparkling. They made him look happy, caring and almost loving. That second before he leans in.

And she really didn't those moments to be over-ridden by the look of his face then. Because she could imagine it. The darkness, power-seeking boys eye's.

* * *

"Is that how you like getting treated Granger? Like you're something that he can own and keep," Draco slurred as soon as Hermione opened her door. He was leaning against the door frame from support, feeling light headed and dizzy.

"You're drunk," Hermione replied, her arms covering her bare skin. She was shivering slightly from the cold chill of the nights air, but she didn't move.

"Don't change the subject. You are way out of your league Granger," Draco said, "He will be the death of you."

"He's not going to kill me Draco."

He hated how she still called him Draco, as if they were still friendly. Hell, he couldn't remember them ever being friendly. During the whole of Hogwarts they had hated each other, and he had made sure to make her life as difficult as possible.

So he had shown her his kinder side when she was withering on the floor over her dead fiance's body, but that was because he had too. He couldn't just walk past; he was human after all.

But he had been really happy to see her when he got here, after he got over the shock of it. Hermione Granger used to be a very clever girl, and he was sure that she was here to kill him as well. She used to be so clever. What had happened?

"You're right. The sick bastard isn't going to kill you. He's going to turn you into him. Hes going to change that pretty little heart of yours," Draco said, sagging forward to say the words closer to her face. But he lost his balance stumbling back, while frantically trying to grab at the door frame. When he finally managed to stand without falling, he closed his eyes to stop the spinning.

"I know what I'm doing."

"No you don't. You forgot a long time ago. You're playing with fire Granger, and I know it sounds like a cliché, but soon you're going to get burned."

"That does sound very cliched."

She was looking down on him. Hermione Granger looking down on him wasn't unusual; she had done it many times before. But the fact that she was doing it now, and probably only because he was drunk, made his blood boil.

How dare she look down on him when she's the one making out with Voldemort, and when she's the one that's betraying everyone she once loved.

Draco's whole life had been ruined because of Voldemort. His whole childhood. And he was going to kill the bastard whether it was the last thing he would do.

"Yeah well changing someone by showing them love isn't clichéd at all."

"It's working Draco, no matter what you think. Anyway, shouldn't you be in your own room, and in your own bed. A prefect will find you," Hermione said, sounding tired and worn out.

"You can't change him Granger, no one can," he mumbled, beginning to leave. He began swaying on his feet once he lost support of the door frame.

"But I'm trying."

"It's really funny you know. Because he's the broken one, and you're the one who needs saving. You really do."

"I'm fine."

"No. No you're really not."

"Go before you get caught Malfoy," she said, while closing the door.

She sounded cold, she sounded hurt and she sounded bitter. And she also called him Malfoy. He preferred Draco.


	34. Chapter 34

34

Tom's mind wandered off while the Professor rambled on about useless and uninteresting topics. It was nothing he didn't know. The lesson was on Boggarts, which was something Tom had already looked in to. The exact definition he had read was:

"A Boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear."

He always wondered what form the Boggart would take for him, as he didn't recal having a _worst fear._

"Riddle, would you like to go first?" the professor asked, snapping Riddle out of his own thoughts.

Sighing he got up, walking over to the locked chest by the professors feet. All eyes were trained on him, some having been on him for the whole lesson.

"Now just remember Riddle that there's nothing to be afraid of. As long as you concentrate and say the correct words you'll be absolutely fine."

Rolling his eyes, Tom slid his wand from out of his pocket spinning it around his fingers, while waiting for the Boggart to be released. The professor crouched down muttering spells, while pointing his wand at the locks. Each lock sprung open, creating a clattering noise as it hit the floor. The girls screeched and slid closer to the end of their seats, all muttering how terrifying this was going to be. It took everything Tom had not to spin around and cast a silencing spell on them, as they were creating unnecessary tension.

"Right Riddle, are you ready?" The Professor asked, when there was only one lock left. The chest was now shaking slightly, moving side to sides. Tom nodded his head; pointing his wand at it.

"Okay, 1...2...3," the Professor spoke, and then suddenly the last lock sprung open.

Tom had no idea what to expect, but what was standing in front of him was defiantly not it. Well, standing was the right word.

A body lay by his feet, violently shaking and jerking in random movements. Its eyes looked like sunken black caves, and were tightly squeezed shut. Until suddenly they fell open; looking glassy and dead.

_Dead._

The body by his feet had stopped shaking and had gone limp, with a thin line of blood dribbling down its chin.

_Dead._

He shouldn't have expected anything else really, now it was obvious. His worst fear was dying.

Girls behind him were screaming, while they peeped between their fingers. Some of the boys had slid down further in their seats, but Tom couldn't see or hear any of it. His eyes were fixed on his dead body laying by his feet. His breathing slowed down, but his heart began beating faster. He could feel it slamming against his rib cage, while it sounded like bullets being fired against a metal sheet. His eyes were feeling heavy, and his stomach was forming millions of tiny knots.

_Dead._

"Riddle-" the Professor began, but Tom interrupted him.

"Riddikulus," he spoke, coming out of his trance.

The Boggart morphed into the Professor wearing a dress, while the class burst into fits of laughter. The Professor next to him went very still, with a red blush creeping up his neck. Tom couldn't think of anything else amusing, although he didn't find this amusing either.

"Okay, okay, very funny Riddle. You can head back to your seat now. Who's next?"

* * *

Hermione stood in front of the mirror, smoothing out a dark green dress that seemed to cling onto every curve of her body. She felt self-conscious, and too exposed. But Riddle had bought the dress for her, and she had nothing else to wear.

The dress ended mid-thigh, but was body tight and figure hugging. She couldn't deny that it was the most beautiful dress she had ever set her eyes on, but she knew that the emerald-green colour was to show everyone that she was his.

Her hair flowed down her back in perfect curls; thanks to a new hair potion she overheard the other girls talking about. He had told her he would pick her up at 7:30pm, and that she couldn't faff around.

He had seemed really tense while telling her though; it was like he had seen a ghost. His skin was paler than normal, although that was pretty hard, and his eyes were cold and vacant.

-flashback-

"Granger," a voice said, while placing their hand on her shoulder. He was behind her so she couldn't see his face, but she knew exactly who he was just by his voice.

"Hey Riddle," she replied, turning around and smiling at him.

"Slughorn's dinner part is today. Make sure you're ready by 7:30, I'll come collect you from your room. Make sure you're ready by then as I'm not waiting."

"That's fine," she replied, a small smile appearing on her lips. She had thought he had forgotten, and had wondered whether she should ask him about what the plan was.

He briskly nodded, while turning away. She could tell that something was up.

"Tom?" she placed a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched away. She only ever called him by his name when she was trying to get his full attention, and before now it always seemed to work. But instead he shrugged her hand off and worked back to his followers. They all had stared, but quickly adverted their eyes when Riddle headed back.

She knew it was going to be one of _those_ days.

-end of flashback-

There was a loud sound from the knocking against her door, and Hermione quickly walked to open it.

Riddle stood behind it; dressed in smart black dress robes. A small smirk pulled at his lips when he saw her, which made Hermione's heart flutter inside her chest.

"Do I look okay?" she murmured, asking for his approval. She knew she was becoming more pathetic by the minutes.

"You look lovely," he replied, leaning in closer towards her, leaving a lingering kiss against her neck.

"Thank you," she mumbled in reply, a blush appearing in her cheeks.

"Lets go."


	35. Chapter 35

35

"We need to go, or we'll be late," Hermione muttered against his lips, as his fingers drifted down to her waist.

"Let's just stay here," he whispered, moving his mouth down to her neck. Her fingers made their way to his hair, and a hum of appreciation escaped his lips. Hermione had melted into his touch; accepting every bit of attention he offered. Their relationship had become completely reliant on the times that Riddle became sweet, and this was one of those times. She soaked it up happily; although once his mood wore off, she felt crap. Moments like these were when Hermione forgot that this wasn't real, as Riddle couldn't feel love, and Hermione could never lover him. But now, it was near perfect.

"Fine with me," she replied, as her back collided with the wall. He had her trapped, with both his hands either side of her head against the wall. He leaned away, and his eyes intensely stared into hers. She smiled back up at him, taking in his breathless and ruffled state. She lifted her hand to rest against his cheek, which felt soft and smooth beneath her skin.

"But wouldn't it be rude not to show? After all, we did say we would make a show," she whispered, as he nuzzled his cheek against the palm of her hand. She brushed her thumb against the side of his lips, and he pressed his forehead against hers, although it meant he had to lean downwards.

"I would rather stay right here, with you," Hermione could feel his voice against her skin, with the warmth of his breath. He placed his lips against her temple, leaving lingering kissed down her cheek.

"But you're right," he then said, completely removing himself. Hermione gave him a pout, as she tried to straighten out her hair. She wished, on this occasion, that she had been wrong.

"I wish I wasn't," she muttered, heading towards the mirror to make sure she looked okay.

"You love being right Granger," he said, trying to flatten his hair himself.

"Normally, yes. But with some occasions, I would prefer to be wrong."

His head snapped to face her, with a completely confused and annoyed expression plastered on his face. She guessed that he was annoyed because he thought he had her all figured out, and here she was telling him she wasn't like that.

"Don't be silly Granger, you always want be right," he replied, with certainty in his voice.

"Don't tell me what I'm like Riddle," she snapped back. He gritted his teeth and turned his head away.

"Why would anyone _not _want to be right?"

"Well sometimes you realise something, and you want to wrong. That didn't make much sense," she tried to explain; only the words didn't come out right. He shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't understand. He had too much pride to just say that he didn't get it.

"For example, when I saw my friend on the floor, I thought they were dead. However, I wanted to be wrong. I didn't want them to dead."

"That has nothing to do with not wanting to be right. You were upset because he was dead, not because you weren't right."

"But I…"

"We have to go Granger," he interrupted, pulling the door open and walking out. She sighed then followed him, shaking her head at his immatureness. Only she hated to admit that what he had said did hold some truth in it.

* * *

Slughorn's face practically lit up as soon as they walked in, and he immediately rushed over to them.

"Hello Professor."

"Tom, it's brilliant to see you. Thought you weren't going to show for a minute. But I don't blame you for getting distracted by this beautiful girl," he rambled, smiling down at Granger as well. Tom saw the beginning of her blush edge its way on her neck, and she sweetly smiled and said thank you.

Tom wondered how degrading it must be for Granger to know that she was only here because he had taken an interest in her. He couldn't deny that she was clever, but not many teachers care about that seeing as she's a girl. If he hadn't taken an interest in her, she probably wouldn't be noticed much at all.

However, she probably would have friends.

He had no idea why she was placed into Slytherine, as she was nothing like everyone else. He remembered how she had said that it was probably because she had killed people in the war, but that was bullshit. She may have murdered people, but that's no reason to be put into this house. People were placed into this house because they had bad intentions, not because they were defending an attack.

"Draco's here," he heard Granger whisper in his ear.

"Ignore him."

"No, I should talk to him."

Tom rolled his eyes and sighed at her answer, leaving his hand slack in their entwined fingers.

"Don't be like that Riddle," she said, squeezing his fingers, then letting go completely. After one more smile, she walked away towards him.

Granger thought that he didn't like this new kid because of Tom's weird possessiveness, however, that wasn't the case. Yes, Tom liked to keep Granger to himself, but the boy had something about him. Something that made Tom want to keep Granger far away from him. Only she didn't want to listen, and every time Tom bought it up, Granger would explode insults on how he wouldn't let her have any friends.

She held some truth on what she was saying, but only some. Tom had started rumors at the beginning of the year that he didn't like her. He had never said an insult, or offended her. He had merely stated his opinion. This immediately had spread, so people kept their distance from her. The whole school either highly respected him, or were terrified of him. It was their fear that stopped Granger fitting in, not him.

The conclusion should have been that when Tom started liking her, then everyone else would have accepted her. Unfortunately for her, that wasn't the case. Now most of the girl population wanted her dead, and everyone knew to keep their distance, because suddenly she belonged to him. No-one wanted to risk getting on the bad side of Tom Riddle.

Tom watched as Granger talked to Adler, with both their heads bent down. She was smiling at him, but his face was set blank. They were too far away for Tom to listen into their conversation, so he left them too it. Instead, he walked over to the new boys date, and flashed her his charming smile.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, extending his hand for her to take. She blushed bright red while she peeked up at him between her eye lashes.

"I would love too," she gushed, excepting his hand. He led her out onto the dance floor, and tried not to flinch when she leaned in to close. Half way through the song he couldn't resist taking a look at Granger.

"I don't care Hermione, and now your dates gone off with mine!" Draco hissed at Hermione, angrily shaking his head.

Hermione quickly snapped her head round, and watched Riddle extend his arm out to a pretty blonde. She was smiling up at him, with a goofy love-struck expression on her face. She hated how jealous she felt, and how her stomach clenched when the girl rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's not like I have any control over him, he's Tom Riddle," Hermione angrily replied, turning back to Draco.

"Yes Granger, Tom Riddle; the boy who grows up to be Voldermort. Remember Voldermort? Because I would have a hard time forgetting the guy that killed my fiancé, but you don't seem to be struggling too much."

"Do you always have to bring up Ron? It's hard enough as it is. He's changing Draco, and in time he may grow up to be a decent person," she pleaded, her eyes drifting back to Riddle.

Their eyes met, and she suddenly had no idea why she had bothered to defend him. His hands were low on the girl's waist, and he leaned in to whisper something into her ear, while still locking eyes with Hermione.

She felt ill, and her stomach clamped tightly.

"Yeah, he looks _really_ in love with you Hermione. You're totally changing him," Draco said, with sarcasm dripping from his voice. She felt humiliated, hurt and sick.

"You can be….so..so…_mean_," Hermione stuttered, making her way away from Draco. He wore a look of triumph on his face, and he was the splitting imagine of his younger horrible self. He hadn't grown up in the slightest.

She made her way out the room, wanting to be as far away from the 2 boys as possible. It was if they both enjoyed her misery. She sat down on the corridors floor, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Miss Granger, are you okay?" She looked up at was greeted with Slughorns concerned face looking down on her. She desperately wanted to be alone, so she could piece together her feelings.

"I'm fine thank you Professor. The room just got a bit stuffy, that's all," Hermione replied, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

"Now now Granger, don't worry about Riddle. Just because he's dancing with another girl, doesn't mean that he's going off you. He's very fond off you indeed," the Professor said, trying to make her feel better. It wasn't working.

"I don't mind in the slightest, I'm just not feeling very well," Hermione tried to explain, but she knew he wasn't convinced.

"Well if you're sure," he replied, not wanting to bother her. Plus, he didn't want her having a mental breakdown on him.

"I'm sure. Thank you," she replied, smiling up at him. He nodded at then walked back to his event. At least he cared enough to follow her out, unlike her bloody date.


	36. Chapter 36

36

"Jealousy doesn't suit you Granger," muttered Tom into Hermione's ear, as she walked back into the hall. She flinched away from, while she continued to walk away from him.

"Maybe not, but that girl on your arm suited you perfectly. Maybe you should go back to her," she replied, pointing her chin over at the girl who was staring daggers at her. It was the same girl Tom had been dancing with only a few minutes ago. Since her asked her to dance, she had latched herself onto his arm. He almost regretted the whole thing.

"Don't be like that Granger," Tom sighed, already frustrated with the way she was acting.

"What am I meant to be like then?" she wailed, flinging herself round to face him.

"It was only a dance! I have no idea what goes through that mind of yours Granger, but I'm sure its all nonsense."

"So holding her close and whispering in her ear, while staring at me, wasn't just a game you were playing?" she spat, while rolling her eyes at him.

Tom ran a hand through his already messy hair, pulling at the roots. Was he even playing a game anymore? Because before it had just been about how badly he could mess her around. And then this stupid, annoying, beautiful witch had him messed around.

"If I did that with someone, you would be so angry with me Riddle. And I wouldn't do that anyway, because why would I bother to purposely try to make you jealous? So tell me Riddle, what was the point?"

The point was to see if she cared. He had loved the fuming look in her eyes, and how she felt so angry she had to leave the room. He liked knowing that he still held some power in this relationship, because half the time he felt like he was becoming powerless. And power was everything.

"There was no point."

"There never is any point. People always have to be unnecessarily mean, just because they can be."

"Granger, you're getting yourself worked up over nothing," he tried to make his voice come out softer, hoping that they could end whatever this was. Right now he wanted to be the boy with the girl every guy wanted but couldn't have, because she wanted him.

She didn't reply, and instead went back to what her original plan probably was. Ignoring him. He could imagine her curled up in the corridor, promising herself that when she walked back in she wouldn't even look at him. But then, just as she walked in, she would think of something really witty, and wouldn't be able to stop herself from saying it. It was a very Granger-like thing to do.

After 2 minutes of putting up with Granger's silence, Tom was contemplating on what to do. The thought of apoliging and briefly passed through his thoughts, but he had quickly decided against it. He would never be able to make her believe it.

"Are you done being moody yet?" he asked, knowing that it most likely wasn't the right thing to say. She continued to stare ahead; not focusing on anything in particular. However, Tom knew that she was dreadful at staying quiet and not speaking her opinions, so cracking her should be easy enough.

"You and the new boy seemed awfully cosy. Know who you belong to."

He could practically hear the crack in her neck, as she snapped it round to look at him. Hatred was radiating of her, with her eyes glowing with lividness.

"I do not belong to anyone Riddle; especially not you," she hissed between gritted teeth, and then roughly jerked away from him.

"I know, but you talked," he smirked as he said it, knowing he had won.

"You're infuriating."

"I know."

"This is ridiculously boring," she sighed out admitting defeat.

"Ignoring me, or this dance?" he asked.

"Both. Plus, Slughorns has been staring at us since I entered back."

"Then lets go outside," he already began walking as he said it, saying the last word over his shoulder. She hesitated before finally following him. She was still mad at him though.

Hermione stretched her bare toes against the damp grass, as the dress she wore began to become soggy and wet. She didn't mind; Riddle had bought it for her. She slowly lowered her upright back downwards onto the ground, and finally let her head rest against it. The starry night sky stretched above her, which made her feel so small. There it was; this infinite stretch of sky that was expanding every single second. She was growing closer towards her death every second.

"What are you thinking?" his voice came from beside her, and she watched the clouds that formed from his mouth which. They disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

"I'm still mad at you," she mumbled, becoming fascinated by the identical cloud forming at her lips.

"When are you not," he whispered into the night air, and the words were swallowed into the darkness.

"You're right. I was jealous." Hermione admitted; glad that he couldn't see the embarrassing blush that rose in her cheeks.

"Hermione, you're the only person I have ever taken any interest in. There's no point in you being jealous. You're the only one I want."

Hermione turned her head in his direction, taking in his immaculate features that looked striking under the starlight. He also turned his face to look at her, and the corners of her lips tugged upwards into a smile. They were lying side by side in opposite directions, with their faces side by side. Hermione bought her hand up to rest her palm against his cheek, and he leaned in against her touch.

"It's as though times stood still for us," he whispered eventually, fluttering his eyes shut. The dark lashed contrasted against his pale skin, looking like curled spider legs.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she hummed back, closing her eyes as well.

"I feel as though I could live forever; like I'm outlasting death."

"You can't escape death Tom, because in reality we are walking dead people. We walk and we talk, saying things that we think are really important, but those words are going to be forgotten. And when we die, first were going to live on in the memories of the people who knew us. They are going to keep us alive in their grieving stage, and then the occasional memory. But when there is no-one less to remember us, we are going to be vanished from existence. We mean nothing Tom."

"Maybe your right if you die without a meaning, but what happens if you die with a meaning? Think of all our founders and how they are always going to be remembered. I'm not planning on dying Hermione, but if I do, I plan on leaving my mark on this word."

More like a scar, Hermione thought.


	37. Chapter 37

37

"I'm really tired Tom," Granger whispered, as her eye lids fluttered open in a sleepy daze. Tom was carrying her to her dorm with one arm under her knees, and the other holding her upper body against his chest, after she had fallen asleep on the grass. The new dress he had bought her was now slightly damp, as the water from the ground had soaked in, leaving her body slightly cold. She shivered lightly in his arms, while pushing herself closer into his warmth.

"Almost there," he told her, looking down at the beautiful girl in his arms. She nodded her head gently, and let her eyes drop back down, so that her eyelashes curled against her skin. He tried to walk as steady as possible, because he didn't want to disturb her blissful sleep.

"Alohomora," Tom muttered, not even batting an eyelash, and Granger's door flung open.

"Wandless magic. Impressive," she slurred, while keeping her eyes shut. It was obvious that he had, seeing as both his arms were occupied holding her.

The corner of Tom's lip lifted upwards, smiling at the girl in his arms. Hearing her complement him was more pleasant than he thought.

Hermione Granger's room wasn't immaculate like he expected, however he _had_ expected the number of books that were stacked on wooden shelves. Her robes were hung neatly behind the door frame, but the rest of her clothes looked like they had been flung aimlessly at her open drawers, then shut with half the clothes still flowing out. A picture frame rested on her drawers, which contrasted to the rest of her room, as it was perfectly straight, and the metal shone as if she had only polished it a few minutes ago. The picture inside of it was tiny, only pocket-size, and Tom was too far away to see who the picture was of.

He walked her over to her un-made bed, and slowly lowered her down. She stirred lightly in her peaceful sleep, but he managed to tuck her into the covers without her lifting her eyes. However, if she slept in the dress she was in, she was sure to catch a cold. Tom wanted to just leave, seeing as she was safely tucked in her bed, but he couldn't. Instead he sighed, and walked over to the closet.

He rummaged through her clothes, trying to find something suitable she could wear for bed. Deciding on an oversized plain T-shirt, he closed the wardrobe and peered closely at the picture frame. The picture was of her standing next to a tall and happy looking red-head, both smiling with their heads resting against each other. It didn't take a genius to work out who the boy was.

Flipping the frame face down, Tom walked over to wear Granger had snuggled up into her blanket, and kneeled down beside her.

" .Hermione," he whispered softly, shaking her body slightly, trying to wake her up.

"Wha...ugh..shhhh" she stirred, moving her body to face him, but her eyes were still closed.

"I need you to wake up for me; just for 2 seconds. Can you do that?" he said, while placing his warm palm on her cold cheek.

"I'm tired," she moaned, trying to lift her heavy eyelids.

"I know, I just need you to change into something not wet." He placed the t-shirt under the covers and into her hand, and thankfully she started wriggling out of her clothes. He turned around to give her some privacy, although she was under the covers anyway.

Tom waited until the sound of her moving under the covers stopped, and he turned around to see her sleepily staring up at him with droopy eyelids.

"Are you going to stay?"

Her question caught him off-guard, and for a moment he was left with his mouth hanging.

"Why would I stay...? Do you want me to stay?" he managed to ask without stuttering, but a weird feeling was gathering at the pit of his stomach.

"Yes, I...I want you to stay," she replied, but her eyes were already fluttering closed. He could slip his shoes off, and climb under the covers. He could hold her close, and wake up with her in his arms. But the glimmering light that flashed for a millisecond attracted his attention, and he walked over to see what it was.

On her shelf, on top of a book, rested a ring.

I ring with a tiny diamond attached on the band.

A ring with the words "forever yours" carved inside.

"Goodnight Hermione," he muttered, walking back and placing a kiss on her forehead. But she was already asleep.

* * *

Abraxas Malfoy watched as Draco Adler, once again, stole another quick glance at the breakfast table. His "glances" were becoming more and more frequent, and he was finding it weirder and weirder.

The boy was interesting looking, with dark black hair that made his pale white skin look even paler. His hair was neatly brushed back, without a strand out-of-place. Just like his.

When he stole another quick glance across the table, Abraxas decided he had enough.

"What are you looking at Adler?" he sneered, narrowing his eyes into intimidating slits. The boy blushed lightly, but duplicated the sneer better than anyone apart from his dad had.

"Are you so full of yourself that you think I'm looking at you."

Abraxas turned to look behind him, to see if their was anything to look at. Sure enough there was a pretty Ravenclaw girl, chatting to her equally hot friend. They both turned there heads at the same time, and went bright red when they saw 2 Slytherine boys staring at them. However, Abraxas had been sure the boy had been looking at him. Instead of saying anything, he shook his friend, and cast his attention on something else.

Hermione Granger was walking towards the Slytherine table, her hair falling in ocean waves around her shoulders. He watched her walk up, taking her usual seat at the other end of the table. She nibbled on the edge of a toasted piece of bread, getting lost in her thoughts. He wondered where her mind had taken her, whether she was thinking of Riddle.

Riddle didn't deserve her. Not in the slightest.


	38. Chapter 38

38

"Good morning, sleep well," a voice said behind Hermione, and she turned around to be greeted by Riddle's smirking face.

"Yes thank you, very much so," she replied, while a blush over took her cheeks. He was leaning in, with his lips only a couple of centimetres away, and everyone's eyes seemed to be fixed on them. However, his eyes, which were blue as the ocean, were the only thing she could concentrate on. They looked so different to her now than when she first saw then. They had gained an extra something which she couldn't quite place.

"What are you planning on doing today?" he asked, grabbing her half eaten toast off her plate. He bought it up to his lips, hesitating before taking a bite. She watched his nose crumple up, before he tossed it back onto her plate, dissatisfied with the dry and bland taste left on his tongue.

"I dont have any. What do you want to do?" Hermione responded, watching him curiously. He seemed so much more comfortable with her now than before, which she hoped was a good sign. Hermione was sure that he had changed, even if it was just a small amount, since her arrival. Changed for the better.

However she knew she was changing too. Her fascination towards him was eroding her hatred, and she was beginning to let herself get attached. He was so different to Ron, in good and bad ways.

Ron was loving and caring, and he was a good person. The type of rare person that's good at the heart, and you cant help but love them unconditionally. And yes, he screwed up every so often. More often than not actually, but he always seemed to do and say the right things just in time to earn his forgiveness.

She remembered so vividly the betray she felt when he had left her and Harry, when she had needed him so badly. And throughout every second of his disappearance, she had told herself not to forgive him as easily as she always did. That this time, nothing he could say would be worthy of her forgiveness. That this time he had taken it too far. But standing there listening to him saying exactly the right things in exactly the right way, she felt her betray slip away like water slipped off an oiled surface. Quickly and effortlessly.

Riddle was the opposite, in every possible way. Him asking for forgiveness, was as rare as Ron not asking help from Hermione on his homework. He was independent. He didn't need anyone, and although half the time he acted he hated her, the other times made her feel special and wanted. Wanted not because she was smart and always knew what to do, but just because he liked her. Of course she knew in her heart that Harry and Ron didn't use her, however, sometimes she could help but feel like she had done their homework one too many times. Or she had done research one too many times. And with Riddle as company, who had never asked anything like that from her, she couldn't help but feel as though they may have used her just a tiny bit.

Tom Riddle was like the sun, giving sunburn to anyone that was with him too long. He was amazing and marvellous to look at and admire, but he caused damage to anyone who got too close. And he may have caused her the worst couple of months of her life, and ruined any chance of new friendships that she had relied on, but that seemed irrelevant now.

Because pain is only relevant if it hurts. And right now it didn't.

"I have plans," he said.

"Oh..."

"But I'm free after seven. Come up to my room then," he didn't really make it sound like a question, but more of plan she had already agreed to. Hermione nodded, trying to keep herself from asking what he was going to do before 7. What event took up the whole day?

"I shall see you then," he said, leaning down to leave a lingering peck on the side of her lips. The blush returned, probably never having gone away fully. She could feel, heating up her cheeks and neck. The whole table was glaring at her, half the looks being filled with loathing, and the other half just utter confusion.

* * *

Abraxas sat down around the table in silence, waiting with the others for Tom to arrive. His friendship with him had fallen since Tom had developed this new-found affection towards Hermione, but he couldn't blame her for it. It had made him feel slightly bitter towards Tom though, seeing as he remembered listening to him constantly go on about how she needed to be put into her place, and how he loathed her existence.

However there was nothing to do about it. He certainly wasn't going to get himself onto Tom's bad side, just because he happened to like a girl. A very pretty and smart girl, but still just a girl.

When Tom strode into the room, the stressed atmosphere thickened until it felt like it was wrapping itself around his throat. They hadn't had a meeting for a long time, and no-one knew what to expect. Would he be crueller? Kinder? More considerate? More brutal?

"I've decided that in total I want 7 horcruxes. I haven't decided what they are all going to be, but I think 7 is enough." he began, his voice even and calm, as though he was talking about something completely normally, such as what he wants to eat for lunch. His voice didn't sound like someone who was talking about splitting up his soul into tiny pieces, and becoming something less than human.

Tom carried on talking about his plans, and everyone kept their mouths silently shut, until Tom asked if there was anything he hadn't mentioned that they should talk about. Everyone knew to keep quiet, so they could leave as soon as possible. A question might cause him to get upset, resulting him to lash out on anybody. However, Black meekly coughed, causing Tom's eyes to snap towards him. Abraxas silently cursed under his breath, narrowing his eyes into slits.

"Sorry, it's just, I have news on Granger," he mumbled, trying to keep eye contact. Everyone knew avoiding eye contact showed weakness, which Tom hated. Abraxas had to admit that Black was brave to speak up, when clearly the invitation to include your input was fake. However, bravery was mostly accompanied with stupid-ness.

"I'm not interested in any ridiculous rumours Black," he spat, his fists clenching around his wand so tightly that his knuckles went white.

"It's not a rumour sir, I've done some research."

"Why on earth would you ever think that it was your place to research her?" The words _mine _were radiating off Tom as his voice was kept even and portrayed no emotion. However, the way his body had tensed up clearly showed that Black was treading on thin ice.

"Well, sir, when she first came you had asked us to do a research check. But some of the information about her has just clashed with my family's background sir. They didn't know of anybody called Hermione Granger. There is no Pureblood family with the last name Granger."

"What do you mean clashed?"

"When her family should have descended off my great aunt's daughter, However none of the information adds up. My-"

"Shut up Black." Tom finally lost his control, his face growing paler, and his voice shaking with anger.

"Therese no possible way she exists!"

"Are you saying my girlfriend doesn't _exist_?"

"No, I'm saying she's not a Pureblood."

"So she lied then?" His voice had become very sarcastic, mocking the very idea that anybody would ever lie to him. But doubt was creeping into Abraxas mind, and by the look of Tom's clenched and tense body, doubt was seeping into his thoughts like a stain as well. It doesn't matter how much you try to scrub away a stain, a faint mark is always left.

"Well no Pureblood Mrs and Mr Granger exist. I don't see how you can be a Pureblood, without having Pureblood parents."

"Someone researched the records, there was a fucking background check," he growled, finally letting the walls around him crash down. He had become frantic.

"There is evidence that Hermione Granger is a Pureblood, but no-one else with that name, and none of the evidence fits. Its all fake, my family even looked into it."

Tom's eyes turned red, pulling at the roots of his hair.

"Who the fuck told me that the checks were fine," he growled, looking around to spot the guilty culprit.

No-one spoke.

"WHO THE FUCK WAS IT?"

"I-I-I'm sorry I..." someone towards the back stuttered, and Abraxas dropped his head and tried to block out the sounds of screaming. Hearing an un-known voice scream was easier to cope with than listening to your friend.


	39. Chapter 39

Hey, sorry to the people I left waiting with this chapter. I've re-written it a couple of times, and found it really hard to imagine how he was going to react. Anyway, although this isn't exactly very good, it's better than the other times I've written it. But I really don't know where to continue the story to, so please please please either message me or leave ideas in the review bit. It would mean a great deal, and I'd also be able to finish chapters faster. Anyway thank you to everyone who reads this, and everyone that has reviewed. It means a lot.

39

Hermione began making her way over to Riddle's room in a happy bliss. She had spent the day reading in the library, however her mind had been occupied with more important things. Such as a certain boys lips. She felt as though she was standing on her own cloud, above all the darkness and sadness of the world. She was up in the sky, with the birds and the soft feel of the sun kissing her skin.

She knocked on the door softly at first, which was more like a tap. After no answer she tried again properly, and the door was yanked open. Her happy joyful face was met with a pair of cold slits.

"is everything okay?" she asked, concern edging its way into her voice.

Wordlessly he walked back inside his dorm, sinking down into the couch, with a blank stare fixed ahead. Hermione hesitated before walking in, and she had no idea what was going on.

"Riddle?" He stayed silent, not responding.

"Tom?" The silence lingered between them, causing a thick blanket of tension.

"I'm tired," he finally muttered, his gaze dropping down to his lap, where his fingers where tangled together.

"I don't understand what's going on?" Hermione finally asked, shuffling closer to where he sat.

"Stay away from me Granger."

Hermione slowly backed away, with her eyebrows knotted in confusion, "I don't understand?"

"You're not a Pureblood are you?" he asked, his eyes finally looking up to meet hers.

Her breath caught in her throat, as her heart stopped beating and collapsed in on itself. The missing puzzle pieces finally slotted together, and she knew what was coming and that he had worked it out. It had only been a matter of time anyway, but the temporary happiness and made her forget. The thing about happiness is that when it leaves, you can still remember what it felt like, and having to feel that joy missing seemed worse than the unhappiness itself.

Finally she shook her head.

"So this was all a lie. Everything?" She hated how cold and blank his voice sounded.

"Why does it make it fake? Why does my blood change everything that happened?" Yes everything was a lie, but not because she was a muggle born.

"You think that I would have even touched you if I had known your blood was not pure?" he snarled, his nails digging into his fists as he was clutching them so hard. "So which one are you then? Half blood or Mudblood?"

"What difference does my blood make? What I be disgusting to you if I had pink eyes instead of brown? Would I be disgusting if I had blonde hair instead of brunette? How can something that doesn't define me or my decisions make me disgusting?"

"Of course it makes a difference," he spat, "I want to know how contaminated I am."

"I'm a muggle born, and I'm proud of it," she told him angrily, hating how throughout her life in Hogwarts she was always made to feel inferior by someone.

"Being a Mudblood is nothing to be proud of," he laughed, only it sounded bitter and unpleasant on his lips.

"Do you really think that all the Purebloods here are better than me?"

"Yes," he said without missing a beat. It didn't matter that his mind was at war with himself, or how he didn't know if he believed it or not, because Hermione Granger had grown into his everything. She was so much better than all of them, and now all of those feelings meant nothing. Because she was just another dirty Mudblood.

"Oh so just because they're Purebloods means they're all clever than me? And kinder than me? And just-"

"You being clever has nothing to do with this," Riddle interrupted.

"It has everything to do with this beca-"

"No," Riddle interrupted again, cutting her off," It doesn't. So lets explore the reason you feel the need to study so much _Granger. _Is it because you feel inferior, and are constantly trying to prove yourself to be just as good as everyone else?

And don't you dare even try to act like you're proud of your heritage, because if you were, then you wouldn't have lied about it. You have lost even the small amount of dignity Mudbloods like yourself carry, and why? Because you are ashamed, and you are a coward."

The words seemed to drop of his tongue mockingly, and Hermione tried to stand tall and keep eye contact, but inside she was being pulled apart by each seam holding her together.

"The fact that I had to lie about my heritage isn't because I am ashamed, but because of disgusting people like you that would make my life not worth living if I came to this school and told the truth. Is it too much to ask to be judged on the content of my personality, instead of pureness of my blood?" Hermione said, trying to stop her voice from shaking.

This wasn't fair, she wasn't supposed to care. She should be happy that he hadn't connect the dots yet; the dots that she had left carelessly behind. First with the naming of the potion, then knowing so much about him and know this.

She wondered, when he found out, whether he would care about the monster he would become, or whether he would be joyful about how he had succeeded.

"There's always an option."

"Not always."

"Good bye Granger." It was the horrible feeling of the end, that clung onto Hermione like the feeling of soaked clothes on skin.

Good bye is such a horrible word, when you know the person really means, because it confirms an ending. An ending means going away. And going away means forgetting.

* * *

Tom watched every step she took towards the door; he watched her hand reach up to turn the doorknob; and he watched her hesitate before turning back to face him. The cold blank glare was already on his face, blocking out all signs of his emotions. He left his fingers to dangle down beside him, trying to keep them relaxed, and he un-curled his toes in his shoes. She may see an ice, cold and emotionless mask, but under his skin he was scorching hot.

He hated her. The hate that eats you out until all you're left with is rage and anger. She made him want her. She made him need her. And now, just as he was happy, the happiest he had ever been, it was ripped away from him like every other good thing was.

"Tom-" she began, but he couldn't do.

"Leave." And she obeyed.

His feet managed to carry him towards the kitchen, while his fingers shook while pulling a mug out the cabinet. Suddenly the mug fell between his fingers, creating a loud smashing sound, as it collided with the floor.

He growled in frustration, while bending down to pick up the shattered pieces. His wand was left forgotten, as he put all his concentration into picking up the pieces off the floor, but his fingers were shaking too much to do the task successfully. They kept falling out his palm, with some breaking into smaller pieces.

She was infuriating, disgusting, vile, un-worthy... but still beautiful. Still clever, Still Hermione. And he hated her for it.

He pulled himself up off the floor, ignoring how weak his knees felt, and picked up another mug. This time it didn't slip from his fingers, but instead he threw it down, watching it shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. He kept going until there was nothing left to throw.


	40. Chapter 40

40

The girls lips kept trailing down his bare chest, leaving quick rushed kisses against his skin.

"Tell me you want me," she hissed, as her fingers tangled into his black hair.

"You know I do," Draco replied, his hands resting on her waist, with his thumb rubbing in circular motions.

"I want to hear you say it," she said, leaning up to peck his nose.

"I want you," he murmured, trying to find his way back to her lips with his own.

There was a quiet sound of knocking on his door, however he ignored it, pretending he couldn't hear it.

"Say it again with me name," she whispered in his ear, her breath tickling the sensitive skin around it. Draco hesitated, searching his brain for any memory on her saying her own name. He must have called her something at some point?

"Um...there's someone knocking on my door," he mumbled getting up, causing her to slide off he chest.

"So?" she demanded grabbing his top, which was laying half squished, and pulled it over her head.

"Well it could be important."  
"Unlikely. Just...come back to bed."

Draco looked at the door, then back at the blonde girl on his bed, knowing that the decision should be an easy one. But the knocking re-started, and he was curious to who wanted his attention she much.

"I'll come back, straight after I see who it is," he said, causing her to sigh in frustration.

The girl standing behind his door was the last person he expected to see. A puffy eyed Hermione Granger stood leaning against the frame, with wet trails still fresh against her cheeks.

"Oh thank God, I though you weren't going to answer. You were right, I'm sorry...Oh...You have company..." She gushed, while trying to keep her voice from breaking into sobs.

"Ugh yes I do..." Draco trailed off, a hand still on the door ready to shut it.

"Well, should I leave and come back later?" she asked, nervously pulling at the tips of her sleeves. She looked so vulnerable then, looking up at him with nervous eyes and a quivering lip. And he really wished he could just shut the door on her and return back to his original plans for the day. Crying girls had never been his weakness before, apart from one other time that seemed like years ago now.

"I'm sorry, you're gonna have to go," he mumbled over his shoulder towards his bed, cursing Granger under his breath while doing so.

"You're kidding right?" the girl asked, raising her eyebrows and still managing to narrow her eyes.

"Maybe later?"

"Bite me Adler," she spat, grabbing her clothes and storming out, making sure to crash into Draco and Hermione on the way. Draco sighed, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against the frame.

"This better be worth it Granger."

"Yes, well, I've failed. Completely and utterly, and I'm so sorry," she said through chocked sobs, her eyes welling up with tears and escaping her eyes. Of course he knew what she was talking about; why else would she come to him? She was so pathetic, utterly and completely pathetic. Draco had known from the she was bound to fail, as Tom Riddle was no ordinary boy. He wasn't capable of love.

So here she was, crying and waiting for forgiveness.

"Come in Granger," he mumbled, walking back in.

* * *

Hermione dragged the back of her hand against her cheek, collecting up the escaping tears. Her foots walked one in front of the other, and she perched her self on the very edge of his bed.

"Sit on in properly Granger. It's not going to swallow you," she heard him say, muffled by top he was pulling over his head. He looked strange without his robes...More normal. He also didn't call her Hermione any more; it was as though she lost the right. How times had changed since her youth. If it was other circumstances she would possibly still be calling herself young, however she had been forced to grow up very quickly. Her friends had needed her, and now she needed herself.

"I'm sorry for the inconveniences I've caused. I realise I've ruined your plans for the night," she said, shuffling backwards slightly, so she was actually sitting on his bed. A chuckle left his lips, which was neither kind or mean, as he walked over to stand in front of her.

"Trust you to pick a night I was going to get laid."

"Well I didn't exactly plan it."

"I wouldn't be surprised. So, tell me what happened? Your boyfriend dump you? Revealed he didn't want you to have his babies? Or maybe-"

"He found out I'm not a Pureblood," Hermione interrupted.

"How?"

"I don't know,I..." He began pacing, with his hand pulling at the roots of his hair, and Hermione could practically see the thoughts jumping around of his head. _"This is bad. This is really bad," _he kept mumbling, repeating the phrase over and over.

"Draco I-"

"What happens when they realise you don't actually exist Hermione? What then? What about me?" his voice panicked, searching for answers he knew she didn't have.

"I don't know." she said weakly.

"Your way was so messed up, it was always going to fail. You actually thought you could get him to feel anything? Let me guess, when he found out he was disgusted right? And he didn't want anything to do with you. And I bet you actually thought that you too had something. You are pathetic. Completely and utterly pathetic, because you fell for him right back. Of course you would, because you thought he was changing into this kind and lovely boy. How quickly you forgot your Weasel. You-"

"Please stop," her voice was weak and small. This wasn't fair.

"We do it my way now Granger. We kill him. Do you understand? We fucking kill him, and you better enjoy doing so. Do you understand?" He said it while leaning right up to her face, and Hermione saw the hate glinting from his eyes.

"Yes."


	41. Chapter 41

41

41

"I don't understand what this is going to achieve Draco?" Hermione whispered, feeling Draco's hand pulling her in closer towards him.

"What are you on about?" He replied, smiling down at her as if she was the prettiest girl he had ever laid eyes on. His finger reached out to touch her cheek, grazing her skin with the lightest and most delicate touch, but she leaned away from him with her eyes cast down. She could almost feel the disapproving eyes glaring holes in to the back of her head.

"You know exactly what I'm on about. You're trying to make him jealous, and I don't understand the point!" He merely laughed at her words, shaking his head with a cocky smile hanging from his lips.

"You're ridiculous Granger, why can't you get it in your head that he doesn't want you? He never has, and he never will."

That wasn't fair, the words were too harsh. It couldn't all have been for nothing. If she, the girl who watched her fiancé die in front of her, watched her friends take their last breath and had a wand pressed against her throat because of this man, could somewhere find it in her heart to feel the smallest amount of fondness, then he could have too.

"We were together Draco, it wasn't as though nothing happened," Hermione mumbled, casting her eyes down.

"Well there might as well have been nothing, because you failed," his words came out so matter of fact like, with him still smiling at her, and she really wanted to hurt something. Just because someone is in the wrong, doesn't give you any right to be horrible to them, because they still have feelings and get hurt. It wasn't her fault she thought they had something.

The late nights outside on the grass watching the stars, when he would point out the constellations and admit to making some up, had to mean something. Even in the cold, they had stayed up until their clothes were damp, until finally one would begin to get droopy eyes. And every time he looked at her, it was as though he was staring straight into her soul.

"You don't have to be so horrible about it," she huffed, shrugging out from his side and walking away to sit where she used to sit, before _he_used to drag her to sit beside him. Where she used to feel his thigh lightly brush against hers, as the spacing was too limited.

She wasn't hungry, but it didn't stop her from eating enough to make her feel like she was about to throw up, or maybe the faint feeling was because she could hear everyone talking about her. They weren't even polite enough to whisper. The girls talked about her as if she wasn't sitting right there. Rumours of how her blood was not pure, and that she was pathetic to lie about it. A pathetic little Mudblood. A stupid whore, thinking she could contaminate their precious head boy. Disgusting. Dirty. Revolting. They wanted her to hear, and they wanted to break her.

She could still imagine the feeling of his fingers grazing her cheek, and his wet lips moving against her jaw. And it was hard to admit that she ended up caring for him, because she had been running away from the realisation for a long time.

She didn't understand how it was possible to care for someone who had ripped your whole life away, leaving you with nothing but bitterness and hatred. But the thing about hating someone is it only takes one thing to make you hate them, and after that you loathe everything they do. You may think you hate everything about them, but in reality its only that one thing they did, and its easy to dismiss them as a horrible person. You only need to know one flaw in their personality.

To love someone is quite the opposite. Before you give your heart away, you learn every side the person has. The good, and the bad. The things you imagined one day knowing about it, and personality traits you wish could change.

So hating him had been easy at first, when all she could see in him was the death and destruction his future self and created. But now, when she thought about him, she thought about the stars, and his lips, and the way he would sometimes drum his fingers against the palm of her hand. And how his eyes were the colour palate of the ocean, with flecks of the sunrise in them in the morning, and the reflection of the moon upon the water at night. His good side didn't outshine the darker one, however it was there. And it wasn't easy to dismiss Tom Riddle as the villain in her story anymore.

But the images in her head kept flashing back to the disgusted look on his face when he found out she was a Muggle born. How can you define someone by something that they have no power over?

Hermione let the hall and walked towards her classroom, knowing that if she stayed any longer than her eyes would betray her. He had ruined her, stripped her from everything. Eyes now followed her as she walked, immediately accompanied by whispers that went _"Isn't she the Slytherin that lied about being a Pureblood, and pretended to go out with Tom Riddle?". _She kept her gaze down while she walked, and instead watched the feet shuffling around.

Unkindness is a gift man-kind gave itself.

* * *

"You announced that she is a Mudblood then Malfoy," Tom said, a bored tone leaving his lips. He had heard some of the rumours, and already things were being made up. Then again, he wouldn't have expected anything less.

"Yes, I thought it was in your best interest to make sure she was destroyed. I didn't realise that people were still going to be interested in her though," Abraxas replied, casting a look over at Addler.

"If a Pureblood wants to associate himself with a dirty Mudblood, than that's his choice. He is welcome to her," Tom replied.

"Riddle, I- I can tell him not to go near her is that's what you-" 

"Nonsense." Tom hated how his friend was looking at him, his eyes filled with pity, because he had known how much he cared for the girl. The stupid, bushy-haired, Mudblood girl. But he didn't care anymore, how could he? Everything was different now.

_"Tom," _Malfoy mouthed the words, knowing that the others would glare daggers if they heard him, but Tom shook his head and narrowed his eyes. He didn't want to talk about it; he didn't want to talk about it now, and he didn't want to talk about it later. He wanted to forget.

"I can do something about Addler?" Malfoy asked, but instead of helping it reminded him of all the times Herm- no the Mudblood had yelled about him for ruining her chances of being happy. How he ruined any chances of her ever having friends. And she needed someone.

"Leave it Malfoy." he growled, trying to contain his anger. There were people around them listening, although they were pretending not too, and he was finding it very hard to put his emotionless mask back on.

"Fine."

No, Tom thought, it really wasnt.


End file.
